Set Fire To The Rain
by LoveRob
Summary: Summary: Bella loves Edward. She has loved him, ever since they were friends with certain benefits years earlier. Even after 'it' ended she still loved him. Now they work in the same place and he hates her being there and is not afriad to let her know exactly that. Is he for real? How will she cope?" Read on and find out. Rating: "Rated: M" for over 18's
1. Chapter 1

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Okay this is being reposted after ff swiped it for having a suggestive term in the original summary. Thanks FF for the notice, I could have changed it ye know. Sorry it's not a new story, I just wanted people who were half way through to have the whole thing.**

**(I'm a big Adele fan and love this song)**

**As usual, I give grateful thanks to Stephenie Meyer, without whom I would not know these characters.**

**This little story has been running around in my head for a while, seeing as I have lost my mojo for my other ongoing story, Life is So Unfair, so I thought I'd try to get it back by writing something else for a bit. Let me know if I should bother to continue. **

**I would really appreciate some feedback.**

**Chapter 1 – In the Door**

_**Isabella Marie Swan**_.

I glanced at the nameplate on my office door and smiled. At twenty-four, I was doing very well for myself. I had managed to land a successful job as a news editor for the Cullen Group, a large conglomerate that owned a series of newspapers and glossy magazines based in New York. I wrote and edited pieces about current affairs, and my work was becoming well recognized in the industry. When I said current affairs, I meant of the news type, not the celebrity type. I had worked here since graduating with a degree in Journalism two years ago. I would suppose that some might say I got the job because I knew the family. As hard as I worked for it, I liked to think I earned it.

I had grown up in Forks, Washington. The Cullen's had a home there and Alice Cullen was my best friend. We went on to share an apartment together at NYU, and I stayed in New York and we continued to do so after we had graduated. Her brothers, Emmett, who was four years older, and Edward, who was two years older, now ran the Group for their semi-retired father, Carlisle Cullen. He and their mother, Esme, now spent their time travelling and seeing the world.

Emmett was always like an older brother to me. He was huge and bear-like, but I knew he was just a big softy. Edward was, well, where the fuck did I start describing Edward. He was beautiful; handsome was not a strong enough adjective. He stood probably about six foot two, had crazy sex hair the color of a new penny, and intense green eyes that drew you in. He was stunning and had a brilliant mind. He was quick-witted and funny when he wanted to be. When we were younger, he was a little shy around strangers and I loved the very bones of him. Even now, after four years in the Edward wilderness, I still did.

On my eighteenth birthday after my party, Edward seduced me. I didn't take much persuading. God, I had ached for his touch since I knew what those feelings were all about. Thereafter, Edward and I were regular fuck buddies for the next two years. I think that was the phrase young people used today, or was it friends with benefits?

Most weekends we would find or make the time to spend together, screwing each other's brains out. We also talked about anything and everything, we laughed and cried at stories we told each other, and we shared everything. We were so close and it came so easy with us. We were just good with each other and to each other, at least on the weekends. The rest of the week, however, we pretty much ignored each other when we met. Why, I didn't really know. Somewhere along the line, though, I fell in love.

Edward didn't.

In New York, Edward seemed to sense I was getting attached and started to distance himself. Our weekends became more and more sporadic until they finally just stopped altogether, and he was gone. I was heartbroken, even though I had never told him how I actually felt. Alice sensed something was wrong, but I refused to open up to her. He was her brother after all.

I did not see Edward for two years, other than at Cullen family gatherings, and then we were only polite, the atmosphere a little strained. No one seemed to notice my awkwardness around him, thank god. When Alice and I graduated, she got her degree in fashion journalism. She begged me to stay in New York and apply to work at the Cullen Group. I knew Emmett had recently taken over as CEO and she never mentioned Edward, so I assumed he wasn't involved on a day-to-day basis.

Yeah, like that assumption was right.

On the day of my assessment test, I took a written exam like all the other candidates and waited to see if I had been short-listed for a formal interview. I knew Emmett, along with Jane Volturi and their current affairs head honcho, James Miller, were going to conduct the formal interview process. I had insisted to Carlisle that I wanted no special treatment. I would have preferred no Cullen be present at my interview at all, but I couldn't really insist.

As the names of the successful candidates were read out by Jane, I breathed a sigh of relief when my name was called. My interview was the next day at 2:00 p.m. I really wanted this job and to stay in New York. I needed this. I left the office with a smile on my face, naïve and looking forward to tomorrow.

Alice and I still shared an apartment, although she wasn't around much anymore. She had met and fallen in love with a really great guy named Jasper Hale. Turned out he was the brother of Rosalie Hale, Emmett's fiancée. As I expected, Alice was thrilled with the possibility that we would be working together. She gave me the rundown on Jane and warned me about James, who sounded like a bit of a slime ball.

The interview was tough, no less than I would have expected for such a high profile news group. I knew my degree stood me in good stead and the piece I had written for my exam was quality work. Of that I had no doubt.

Emmett kept quiet, letting the other two ask the questions. James gave me the creeps, his eyes undressing me the whole time, and I felt physically sick looking at him to reply. I think Emmett picked up on my discomfort because he came to my rescue and wound things up.

Jane Volturi rang me the next day and offered me a junior editor position working under James. I wished she had thought to rephrase that. I would start the following Monday and report to her office at 8:30 a.m. sharp.

I was there in plenty of time and sat outside Jane's office on the executive floor. Further along the plush corridor, a door was open and I could hear raised voices. At first, I was not sure who it was talking, but then I heard my name uttered in a voice I would never forget.

"For fucks' sake, Emmett, Bella Swan? Could you possibly make me any more miserable? You know damn well I don't want her here. What on earth possessed you? Why wouldn't you at least speak to me about it first?"

"Edward, she was the best person for the job. As I've told you many times before, not everything is about you. Now, you won't have to see her much; she's working under James, not in your area, so if and when you do see her, please be polite. Christ, you've known the girl for over ten years. You owe her that at least."

The voices lowered then, but I caught something about working under James and keeping an eye on him. Edward sounded even angrier than he had before.

As I looked up, my cheeks blazing red with embarrassment. Edward came out of the office and stomped off. I knew he had seen me because he blushed, too, and looked away without so much as acknowledging me. Emmett followed him and saw me; he looked suitably embarrassed, but he covered it up well.

"Bella, good to see you. Glad to see you're nice and early. Jane will look after you when she arrives. Now just a word of caution about James, he does think he's a bit of a catch and likes to play up to all the girls. If he gives you any trouble, please let me know, okay?"

I nodded to him embarrassed.

"And Bella, ignore Edward, you know what he's like after all these years. He'll be fine once he gets used to the idea. He just hates not being included in all the hiring decisions."

And that was that. I worked hard and earned a reputation as a decent journalist and a grafter. I put in long days during the week and worked most weekends. I more than earned my promotion to editor eighteen months later. James, like Emmett had warned, made his play several times over, and on each occasion, I had politely refused him. After a close call in the photocopying room, he finally got the message when I threatened to tear off his balls and feed them to him if he touched me again. After that, I seemed to have earned his respect. He still flirted outrageously, but never ever was he inappropriate again.

Edward ignored me for the most part. At family parties, he paraded glamorous girls in front of me time and time again, seeming to watch my face for a reaction. On each occasion, it was a different girl; models, actresses, even pop stars. He was polite to a fault, but never friendly. Even Alice asked me what was wrong with him. I had shrugged and pretended to not know.

Sometimes, I caught him watching me at work. He would come to the current affairs floor and hover around James' office, but I saw him looking, glaring at me. It was my turn to ignore him. He shouldn't have been there anyway. He was the head of the entertainment section, covering everything from literature, movies, celebrities, and music. His music degree and his contacts in the industry made it perfect for him. As a teenager, I remembered him telling me how he loved to write and play music; that was back in the day when he actually spoke to me of course.

When I eventually got my own office, I felt protected a little, no more eyes watching. I made sure my blinds were always closed so once I was inside, no one could see in. It was my home away from home sanctuary. I spent more time in my office than anywhere. I went home only to sleep and shower. There was nothing there for me anymore anyway. Alice had moved out to live with Jasper, so now I was truly alone.

I immersed myself in my work. I thrived on deadlines and finding a story that would excite and capture the reader's imagination. I looked forward to our monthly team meetings where we discussed and even argued over the coming months' subjects. I had some interesting suggestions to bring to the table next time and I could not wait to see if James and Jane would be interested enough for me to take them further.

**Loved it?**

**Hated it?**

**Should I continue?**

**Any idea what suggestions Bella may come up with?**

**What about Edward, do you love or hate him so far? Me thinks he's going to be even more of a pain in chapters to come.**

**Press the little button and let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Thanks to Stephenie Meyer who owns all that is Twilight.**

Chapter 2 – Opposing Views

Our scheduled monthly meeting was today and I could not wait. An old school friend, Angela Webber, had been in touch on Facebook. She was a doctor in the armed forces and was serving in Afghanistan. We had been emailing for weeks now and I wondered if the group would be interested in doing a story about a U.S. doctor based over there. I had tentatively asked Angela if she would be interested in telling it like it really was and she had welcomed the truth being told about what life was really like over there. I was hoping that if we as a company decided to go with my suggestion that they would allow me to travel there to write the story myself.

Okay, so it would mean I would be away from my desk and the office for a month or six weeks, and I supposed there was also the possibility that I might not come back. Journalists were a prime target for kidnapping and torture. A shiver ran through me at that thought.

The boardroom on the executive floor was where we held our meetings. It was the only time I got to go up there unless I was seeing Emmett on a personal matter. There were all the current affairs editors present, as well as Jane and Emmett. I sat down with my notebook in front of me.

James opened as usual, giving details of the papers and magazine publication numbers. The floor then opened for suggestions for the future months' issues. This was my opening.

"Well, I have a friend, an old school friend, actually, that..."

My speech was stopped mid flow when the boardroom door opened and Carlisle and Edward walked in. They both took seats and now I was nervous; neither of them had ever attended one of these meetings before, at least not in the last two years, so why today when I had an exciting suggestion?

"Sorry, Bella, go on," Carlisle said nodding to me with a smile.

"So, as I mentioned, my old school friend is a doctor in the military, she's based in Afghanistan at the present and we've been talking via email for a while and she's been telling me how hard things are out there. How much harder it is in reality as opposed to what's being reported sometimes. So I was thinking it might be a good opportunity to tell the real story. Angela is willing to talk to us, let us spend a month or six week trailing her day to day so we can see what it's really like. I know there are risks, but I think our readers would like it."

I could feel the atmosphere in the room change, a buzz of adrenaline was coursing through me and I could see the excitement on James' face. He and Jane were both making notes frantically. Emmett looked interested but slightly reserved. I imagined he was wondering where I was going with this.

"So, Bella, what were you thinking exactly?" Emmett asked.

This was where I got excited. "I thought I could go and do the story. I already have a relationship with Angela and..."

"Not a fucking chance. You are not going into a warzone, Bella!" Edward roared glaring at me. He then stormed out of the boardroom, slamming the door after him.

I was stunned, too stunned to speak. I must have looked like a goldfish sitting there with my mouth opening and closing with nothing coming out.

"Bella, we can we talk about this some more later. Perhaps you could come up to my office tomorrow with James," Emmett said breaking the silence.

What the hell had just happened?

The rest of the meeting went by in a bit of a blur for me. I heard people talking, but I didn't really hear what they said. Over and over, I heard Edward's words. _Not a fucking chance. You are not going to a warzone, Bella!_ Did he not want me to have this opportunity? Why wouldn't he? He looked at me with pure hatred in his eyes. I felt sick.

When the meeting finished, I collected my things and made my way to the lift. I was dejected and a little sad to think he had behaved like that to me after all we had shared. As I stood waiting for the lift to arrive, I could hear raised voices from the office down the corridor. I heard Edward say clearly, "You will not allow this, Emmett, she's not going and that's the end of it! Do you hear me?"

I didn't know what had gotten into him, but I was mortified that he had chosen today to come to my aide, especially as I really didn't want or need it. I wanted to do this. I had nothing to stay here for. It would be a wonderful opportunity for me and would do wonders for my career.

Back in the relative safety of my office, there was a knock on my door. James poked his head around the door and asked, "How are you holding up?"

I motioned for him to come in and close the door behind him. Now that he knew where he stood with me, James and I had become quite good friends. Yes, he was a man whore and a terrible chauvinist, but with me he was okay. We would often spend the weekend working together and catch a bite to eat at the end of a long hard day. I knew there were rumors about us, but we both knew the truth and that was all that mattered. I also knew that James was in love with Jane. Like me, his love was unrequited and he, too, had never told Jane how he felt. I knew exactly what he was going through. I didn't let on, though. We weren't close enough for me to tell him about my past with Edward.

"So, you sounded really excited about this, Bella. Do you really fancy going out there? It's awfully dangerous."

"I know, James, but Angela's my friend and we already talk, so it just makes sense for me to go. She'd open up to me more than she would someone she doesn't know," I smiled thinking of my shy friend.

"Edward didn't sound impressed. I wonder why he was in our meeting anyway, he hasn't bothered before. I know you know the whole family, Bella, but be careful; Edward is a big influence here and I might not be able to protect you if he decides to pull rank."

"Emmett won't let him do anything to ruin my career. I haven't done anything wrong. He's just a spoiled brat who's used to getting his own way."

A loud knock, followed by my office door being thrown open and slammed into the wall, silenced me.

"Go on, Bella; please don't let me stop you telling our staff what a spoiled brat I am," Edward snarled.

"Edward," I groaned.

"James, please leave us, and take all the staff on this floor to the cafe down the street for an hour, on the company of course. What I have to say to Miss Swan I do not want the rest of the staff to hear."

"I hardly think that's appropriate, Edward. Bella was just trying to explain your outburst earlier. Bella, do you want me to stay with you or shall I go get Emmett?"

She doesn't need you or my brother. I'm not going to hurt her, but our discussion may get rather heated and I'd prefer not to have an audience."

"It's okay, James, go on. I'll be fine; Edward won't hurt me."

James nodded and walked out. When he closed my office door behind him, for the very first time since I had moved in here, I felt vulnerable.

Edward stood by the window and looked through the blinds until he was happy that everyone had left. When he finally turned to look at me, I could not decipher what it was I was seeing in his eyes.

"So, what the fuck was all that about up there?" he threw at me.

"What do you mean? My suggestion for a great story?"

"Your suggestion for the story is not the problem and you know it," he flung back.

"Look, I don't know whatever it is that has you so uptight, but why were you even in our monthly meeting?" I asked getting angry.

"Stop changing the subject, Bella, you are not going to Afghanistan."

"Why not? It makes sense for it to be me. I have a relationship with Angela already; it'll be easier than someone new."

"I don't give a fuck, you're not going and that's final!" he growled these last words at me.

"It's not up to you, Edward. Emmett and James will decide if we're going to run with this story and who they'll send, and if they decide on me, then I'm going and there's nothing you can do about it."

I really thought he was going to hit me he moved so fast to get in my face.

"Over my dead body will you go and I mean it. I'll do everything I can to stop you, Bella, even if it means getting you fired before the event. Don't push me on this, Isabella; you may not like what you'll see."

He smelled wonderful and for a moment I was back in Forks with him, making love to him every weekend. I knew in a millisecond that if he kissed me now, I would forgive the last four years in an instant. Then the harshness of his words sank in. Looking into those beautiful green eyes, I longed to touch him. How on earth had we come to this? Yes, we had lost touch and even ignored each other for the last four years, but this was preposterous.

"Why would you be so cruel?" I asked him near to tears.

Taking a step back now, he appeared to stumble; he seemed shaken that he was so close. He breathed deeply and said, "I'm not being cruel, Bella; I'm trying to save your life. It's fucking dangerous out there. I've known a few people to go out there and be killed, journalists included, and I refuse to have your death on my conscience for the rest of my life."

So that was it, he didn't want anything happening to me while I was working for the group.

"You can go now, Edward, I think we've said all that needs to be said, don't you?"

He turned to leave, but stopped and turned to face me. "Bella, are you in a relationship with James Miller?"

"What? Why? And if I am, what's it got to do with you?"

"I thought maybe you'd stay if he asked you to."

"I wouldn't stay, and no, I'm not in a relationship with him; the rumors are just that. I'm my own person, and irrespective of if I'm in a relationship, I'll go if Emmett and James allow me to. Goodbye, Edward."

"I won't allow it, Bella. I don't care what Emmett says, you're not going."

With that, he walked out of my office and slammed the door behind him. I sat down finally in my chair and pondered on what the hell had happened to make him act like this. I knew that Edward's influence was not over Emmett, but Carlisle and he still held an awful lot of sway, even though Carlisle had handed over the reins to Emmett.

As the staff came back, I opened my door so that James knew I was alright.

"Are you okay? Do you want to talk later?" he asked concerned.

"No, I'm fine actually. He only stayed about ten minutes, shouted a bit, and then left. Crazy really."

"I think he might have a thing for you, Bella. The way he was looking at me was like I was his rival or something."

"I assure you, James; Edward Cullen doesn't care about me like that. We used to be friends back in high school, then after that, I was never good enough for him. He's never even considered me a friend in recent times like Emmett has."

"I've got a meeting with Emmett, Jane, and Carlisle about your suggestion first thing. If you're sure you really want to do this, I'll back you, Bella. You'd write a great article."

"Thanks, James. Is it okay if I take off for the day? I think I need to get out of here, relax a bit."

"You go on home, I'll see you tomorrow."

I took the lift to go down to the staff car park and rolled my eyes as I saw Edward waiting to get in when it reached his floor. I would be damned if I was going to speak to him after how he had behaved.

"Are you ignoring me now, Bella? Isn't that a little childish?" he groaned.

"Look, you've been ignoring me for four years, Edward, why should I start talking to you now?"

"So you noticed that, huh?"

"Of course I noticed, one minute we were fuck buddies, and the next I was being ignored." I saw him flinch at my choice of words, but right now I didn't care.

"We weren't fuck buddies, Bella, and you know it."

"Really? How would you describe what we did then?"

"We were lovers, Bella, in the truest sense of the word."

The lift doors opened then and I stumbled out. What did he mean lovers in the truest sense? There was no way I was leaving it at that.

"To be lovers, Edward, you would have to care about the other person and I know you never cared about me, so let's not pretend, shall we."

"Whatever, Bella, whatever. You're still not going to Afghanistan."

He walked away with the smuggest look on his lovely face, which right now I wanted to slap hard. Then I wanted to kiss it better and kiss his lips and run my hands through his hair like I used to.

_Stop it, Bella! For fucks' sake, he hates you, _I chastised myself.

The worst part was that I was still deeply in love with him and I longed for him to want me again under any conditions.

God, I was hopeless.


	3. Chapter 3

**Set Fire to the Rain**

********LEMON ALERT********

**Under 18 readers, please move along to another story.**

**As usual, thanks to SM who owns all that is the wonderful Twilight.**

**Your reviews have blown me away. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Sorry that I do not get to reply to them all individually. If you ask me a question or want a reply, let me know and I will get back to you. I love to read them all.**

**I cannot thank Dollybigmomma enough for her wicked beta skills. You rock, girl!**

Chapter 3

At home, I was now in no mood to relax thanks to Edward. The jerk had me gotten me wound up so tightly that I felt like if I uncoiled, I would spin out of control forever. I knew caffeine would not help, so I avoided coffee. Maybe a rather large glass of wine would help. I poured myself a glass of white wine which had already been opened and was nice and cold from being in the fridge.

In the quiet of my apartment, I sat and pondered the days' events. I could not even begin to make sense of Edward's behavior, and James thought he had a thing for me. Yeah, like that was how you acted when you cared about someone. Shout and curse in front of all their colleagues, talk down to them. Yeah, that was real caring in my book. Jerk.

The wine certainly did its job because before I even realized it, the bottle was empty and I felt much more relaxed. In fact, I would probably go as far as to say I might have been a bit squiffy. I giggled to myself, knowing that Alice would be rolling her eyes at me right now and calling me a 'lightweight'. She was right, though. I had never been a big drinker when we all used to go out on the town whilst at uni. I was always the designated driver because I couldn't hold my alcohol. On the rare occasions I did drink, I always ended up falling over drunk and then suffered terrible hangovers for days after. It really wasn't worth it, so now I had the occasional glass of wine at home and seeing as I rarely went out anymore, it wasn't an issue.

Pulling myself up off my comfortable sofa, I wobbled towards my bedroom. I was sure that the wine would help me sleep. As a workaholic, I did not usually get to bed until one or two o'clock in the morning, so an early night would do me good. Trying to pull my watch into focus to see the time, which was half nine, the wine would need to be pretty effective if I was going to be able to drift off.

A shower could wait until the morning, it wouldn't kill me. Well, it might if I had been sober, but right now, I didn't really care. I could not even be bothered to put on my nightshirt and fell into bed, naked as the day I was born.

Sleep overtook me in an instant and then I was...

Where was I?

I looked around, recognizing the room. I had been in here so many times over the years. It might have just been my very favorite room in the Cullen mansion, especially when it had a very naked Edward in it. I turned over and watched him sleep. The family had gone for the weekend, a last minute shopping trip to New York. Edward and I had declined to go along, both professing to have other things that we needed to do. Yeah, that would be each other. I had come over with my weekend bag just a few minutes after I saw Carlisle's car leave town.

We had left his bed last night only to get something to eat. I loved sleeping in his arms. Now as he slept, I was able to take in all the details of his glorious face and heart-stopping physique. His skin was smooth and pale, not too pale, though, and now he had a five o'clock shadow. I loved Edward with stubble. God, he was so sexy. It made me wet just looking at him.

His lips were perfect, too; especially for kissing, and boy did he kiss well. I had always felt like our kisses were very intimate. More intimate even than the sex act itself. He was gentle and teasing and kept his tongue for special occasions. There was nothing worse than a guy who shoved his tongue down your throat on the first kiss. I liked that he always surprised me with his kisses. I never knew if I was going to get soft and gentle kisses or hard and passionate ones. His eyes, when open, were dangerous, at least to me. I could quite easily fall flat on my face if he looked at me too intently. I was drawn in and I knew it might sound silly, but I knew that I actually leaned in towards him when he looked at me. Was I pathetic or what?

Where the fuck did I start describing his body. Heart stopping, panty-drenching, god-like Adonis sounded about right; and the sweet thing was he had no idea of his effect on the opposite sex.

He stirred next to me, throwing his strong arm over my bare chest and hooking his leg over mine. His fingers stroked the skin just under my breasts and I moaned.

"You awake, Bella?" he asked already knowing the answer I was sure.

"I am."

He moved over me slowly and trailed gentle kisses along my shoulder and up towards my neck. When he reached my jaw, his hands moved to my breasts and kneaded gently, his thumbs and forefingers rolling my nipples until they were hard buds.

"I love how you respond to my touch, Bella. I can never get enough of you."

My only response was a loud moan and I automatically opened my legs, allowing his leg in between. I craved some friction and he gave me just that by rubbing his thigh over my most sensitive bodily part.

"I want you, Edward. Please, I need to feel you inside me." I had no shame around him, asking him boldly to make love to me.

He moved off me a little and pulled a small foil packet from his bedside drawer. I watched in awe as he slipped it on over his impressive length. I actually licked my lips at the sight of him in anticipation of what was to come. I knew at least for this weekend, he was mine.

His fingers opened me up, but he did not need to bother with foreplay for me; I was already dripping wet. God, even when he just walked into a room nowadays, I was ready for sex with him. A low moan from him told me he knew I was feeling as excited as he was.

Slipping over me and positioning himself at my entrance, I place my arms around his shoulders and pulled him in close. As he slid home, I arched my back to meet his gentle thrust. We both moaned loudly. He felt so good. He kissed me then and like always, fireworks went off in my head. His lips explored mine, gently nipping and biting. When his tongue licked my bottom lip, I about came undone. His tongue joined mine in a dance as erotic as our love making. Soon, his slow and gentle movements were not enough for either of us. I needed more of him. I need him deep and harder. I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist, encouraging him to change his position, giving him even deeper access and god, it felt so good, so deep. His thrusting was now faster and I met his every one.

Our bodies came together over and over, slick with perspiration. I could feel the coil tightening in the pit of my stomach as my orgasm approached. I wished I dared to tell him how I really felt. Right at this moment, I wanted to tell the whole world that I loved him, but I couldn't. We did not have that sort of relationship. We were purely friends with benefits, nothing more, at least from Edward's point of view.

"I'm close, Bella, so close. Come with me, baby," he whispered into my ear, urging me on.

His words were all I needed to send me into oblivion. Stars shot across my whole universe as I let the impact of my orgasm take over me. He joined me and together we rode out our release.

I woke with a jolt at the intensity of what I was feeling. Shit, I had been dreaming about us again, that wonderful weekend back in Forks, the weekend we never really left the bed. It was probably the turning point in our time together because at the end of it, there was no doubt that I was head over heels in love with Edward Cullen and I knew all I was to him was a convenient fuck and his sister's best friend.

Exhausted from my unconscious activities, I drifted off again, but this time there would be no dreams, at least none that I could remember.

A loud beeping that just would not stop brought me around. With one eye open, I looked at the clock. It was 6:15 a.m. How did that happen? I would have sworn I had only just gotten into bed. My head was thick and I felt fuzzy from the effects of the wine. I groaned when I recalled once again the memories of the very hot Edward dream. It might have been a dream, but it was also a very well-preserved memory and one that I tended to bring out unconsciously when I was the most stressed or feeling down. I liked to think of it, or at least I did, as a little light relief. After yesterday, now I was not so sure.

Standing under the hot powerful shower jets, I let the water ease my tension. I washed and conditioned my hair with my usual strawberry and freesia-scented shampoo. Edward had once told me the scent drove him wild with desire. I had not changed it in over twelve years because I knew he liked it. Don't get me wrong; I did, too. It was sort of my signature scent, but a girl did usually change these things as she got older. Not me, not now, not ever. Well, as long as they still made it, I would still buy it.

I dressed today more formally. I could not be seen today of all days as being weak or too delicate. I decided to go for a power suit. Alice had picked it out last year for me and I was reluctant to wear it because of the message I felt it sent. It was beautifully made and gave me the air of a dynamic business woman, but it also made me look hard and cold and that was not really me. Today, I needed that look if I was going to be able to convince the powers that be that I was the reporter they needed to send on this assignment.

When I walked into the office, I felt like all eyes were on me. I was going to kill Edward Cullen for doing this to me. He knew I hated to be the center of attention, he knew I just wanted to be recognized for doing a good job. Hushed voices whispered as I walked by and some of the girls looked at me like I was going to meet my maker. I was surprised that James' office door was wide open, but I could see as I walked past that he was not inside.

When I opened my own office door, I knew what the looks were all about. Sat in my chair behind my desk was Edward. He was leafing through some papers and looked up as I walked in.

"Ah, Bella, come in and shut the door. We need to talk."

**Cliffy...sorry, no I'm not really.**

**So you all know the drill. Press the button and let me know what you think.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Chapter 4**

With a deep sigh, I continued into my office and closed the door behind me. He looked wonderful sat there, although if I was not mistaken, there were dark patches around his beautiful eyes.

I pondered on whether to remove the jacket of my suit, knowing that that sheer cream blouse below was a little daring even for me. I decided I had better leave it on for now. With my jacket on and buttoned up, you could not tell what a sexy little number the blouse was.

"Good morning, Edward, what brings you down to current affairs so early this morning?"

"You know perfectly well why I'm here, Bella, so let's not pretend, shall we? So, I wanted to apologize about yesterday, for what I said and how I said it at least. Look, Bella, you're a great reporter and an even better editor from what Emmett tells me," he added quickly, "But going to Afghanistan is a whole different ballgame. Before I do anything rash, I'm asking you to reconsider putting yourself up for this assignment. Please, Bella, give it some more thought."

He sounded so reasonable this morning after his rant yesterday. However, now I was having trouble looking at him without seeing him in bed making love to me. That bloody memory kept coming back to torment me. I groaned internally and I would swear I could feel him moving in and out of me. _Good god, girl, get a grip, just yesterday he was hurling abuse at you._

"Edward, I've thought long and hard about this and believe me, I've had my doubts, but it's something I really want to do if I'm allowed. It'll be an amazing opportunity for me and I hope if the story is successful that it'll do wonders for my career. Now, it's my turn to ask you to please understand that I need to do this." I looked intently at him, hoping that my eyes would show him how much I wanted to do this and that I would like his support.

He was quiet for a moment, his fingers playing with a pencil that he had taken from my jar. When he eventually looked up at me, I felt myself falling once again into those deep green eyes. His stare was intense and I could feel myself being drawn in. Right now, all I wanted was to be on the other side of my desk in his lap, kissing the living daylights out of this incredibly sexy man.

My mind was flooded with the memories of my dream from last night and my breathing became labored. Two days. Two days of seeing him close up was all it had taken to tear apart all of my hard work through the last four years of keeping a lid on my Edward-induced feelings. Right now if he wanted to, he could fuck me here on my desk, up against the wall, the chair, or anywhere else. I was back to square one, still deeply in love with him.

His voice brought me back to reality.

"So, you won't reconsider then? You won't listen to me?"

"I have listened to you, Edward, and believe, me I haven't volunteered for this without giving it a whole load of consideration. I've talked to Charlie at length; he's worried, too, but he accepts I'm a big girl now and I can make my own decisions. Yes, it's dangerous, and yes, I'm scared as fuck, but I still want this opportunity, Edward."

He looked up and I thought he might have been considering moving towards me when I swore, but he didn't, his cool demeanor held him back.

"Well, I'm sorry, Bella, but I'll fight you on this every step of the way. I cannot allow you go over there. For fucks' sake, you're like family, what will Alice say if I let you go? Emmett may think he's the one making this decision, but believe me, he won't be the only one. I'm sorry that we can't agree on this, I really am. I thought you would've had more consideration for my feelings about this, but I can see now I was wrong."

He got up, shoving my chair back and walked around my desk towards the door. I moved to where he was sat and started to rearrange my desk to how I liked it. It saved me having to watch him walk away from me again.

He paused before opening my office door and turned, his face a mask of anger and something else; pain, hurt, agony. But why?

"Please, Bella, for me, if what we had meant anything to you, I beg that you reconsider."

I slumped down in the chair, looking at him with my mouth open. Why, after four years, did he have to throw something like this at me? Jesus, like what we had wasn't everything to me. He was the one who was emotionally unattached, not me. How dare he say that to me now after all this time!

"Get out, Edward, just get out!" I shouted at him near to tears.

Shaking his head and looking as upset as I felt, he left without another word. The door closed quietly behind him and that was when my tears started to fall. How long I sat there crying silently I did not know. The telephone ringing startled me, but I answered it anyway.

"Bella Swan, current affairs."

"Swan, it's me. Can we meet for lunch today or are you too busy?"

Alice Cullen rarely called me Bella. When she was mad at me, I was Isabella, else most of the time I was just plain old Swan.

"Today might be a problem, pixie, what's up?"

"Why does anything have to be wrong? Just because I want to have lunch with my best friend doesn't mean all is not well you know. So, when can you fit me into your busy schedule?"

Flicking through my diary, I had a window of about an hour and a half today before I met with James and Emmett.

"The only free time I have today is at half eleven, but I'd have to be back before one. I have an important meeting that I need to be on time for."

I could hear her rustling pages so I assumed she was checking her schedule. "That's fine, meet you in the lobby. Don't be late, I'll make reservations."

I could not help but smile, she was like a whirlwind. Always had been, so I guessed nothing would change her. I wondered if she had spoken to Edward or Emmett about yesterday.

The morning went by in a flash. People came and went from my office, all entered with a worried expression on their faces, but once they saw I was okay, they left relieved. It would appear Edward was known as a bit of an ogre. Sure, all the women fancied him, but it sounded and looked like they were all scared shitless of him, too.

I wondered how they would feel if they knew I could tell them exactly how to bring him to his knees, literally. I used to know what he liked, but now I was not so sure. His latest flame, Tanya Denali, was the total opposite of everything I thought I knew about what Edward liked in a woman. Yes, she was beautiful, tall, blonde (natural), with legs up to her armpits. A proper show piece on any man's arm, but she was also cold and duplicitous, a right Jekyll and Hyde. She was a criminal barrister, known to be hard as nails, calculating, and ruthless. The Edward I knew liked his woman warm, gentle, and pliable. He liked to talk about things like music and films. He loved literature and going for long walks on the beach in his bare feet. I could not see Miss Denali going anywhere barefooted. I had seen her at the last Cullen gathering, her smile appeared to be fixed and she held herself stiffly and sneered on more than one occasion when Esme tried to draw her into a conversation.

I could remember Esme's words the next morning over breakfast. "God, I hope Edward's not serious about that one, what a cold fish. I don't want her as a daughter in law and the future mother of my grandchildren," she had said shuddering.

Alice had added something about it being unlikely that someone like Tanya would even have children. Hmm, but I knew Edward had wanted the whole marriage and kids thing one day. He had mentioned it on more than one occasion during our time together. I even remembered the day he had asked me if I wanted that, too. We were walking along First Beach at La Push. We had spent the weekend in a rather seedy hotel in Port Angeles and Edward couldn't apologize enough for the tackiness of our surroundings. There was some fishing convention going on in town and everywhere was booked solid. We hadn't realized this and when we rolled up, it was the only place left that had a spare double room. When we saw inside, we went straight out and bought a new mattress protector and new bedding. It really was gross.

In order to make up for our tacky weekend, we had stopped off on the way home and walked and talked. He didn't even realize that it was just our being together that I loved, where we were at was of no consequence.

Well, Tanya seemed to have something Edward liked. She was a firm fixture on his arm these days and that in itself was a surprise. Edward did not do relationships, he did one night only. Tanya must have been different.

Just before half past eleven, I made my way to the lift. I had taken the time to touch up my face and hair in the bathroom on the way out. I was just about to pull my suit jacket back on when a cough behind me made me look up.

"You do realize that blouse is totally see-through. It's quite inappropriate for work, Bella. I thought you of all people would know better."

"I was just putting my jacket back on, so it won't be inappropriate for a moment longer," I said as I slipped it on with a huff.

Edward's sneer got my back up. I would be damned if I was going to explain to him that the only reason the damn blouse was on show was because I had been to the washroom to freshen up and had taken it off in there.

Buttoning up my jacket, I walked off, leaving him stood in my wake.

Alice was waiting when I exited the lift.

"Come on, Swan, I'm starving," she said pulling me along.

I laughed. You could not do anything else with Alice. At the restaurant, we were seated at a quiet table which gave us ample opportunity to talk. We ordered a drink and our meals.

"So, what the hell's been going on up on your floor? The gossip was rife yesterday, something about you and my brother coming to blows."

"Hardly. Edward and I have had a difference of opinion. He apologized for his behavior this morning."

"You were with Edward this morning? About time."

"What? No, he was in my office when I got in, we talked and then he left. Enough said."

"Isabella, I've known you how long? Fourteen years and more actually. And for about the last twelve of those, you've had the hots for my brother, and I don't mean Emmett. Do you really think we're all blind? God, the way you used to look at him; fuck, girl, you could have set the room on fire with those smoldering looks. Unfortunately for you, my brother's pretty dense and didn't seem to notice at first. That changed when you were about sixteen, though. I thought I was going to have to spray him down with a hose every time you came over to visit."

"Alice, please, you're exaggerating as per usual. Edward has always ignored me and you know it."

"Really? So it wasn't you he used to sneak off with every weekend? It wasn't you I saw walking hand in hand with him barefoot on First Beach? Bella, the whole family knew what you two were up to; we were all just waiting for you to announce that you were together. But then boom, nothing. So, will you tell me what happened?"

I could feel the blush rise up in my face as she told me that she knew my secret. So much for our discretion.

"Alice, not now, okay? Soon maybe, but not right now. After yesterday, it's all a bit too raw, I hope you understand."

"Okay, but can I ask you one question?"

"If you must."

"Do you love him? Because I'm thinking if you still do after all this time, maybe it's real love and not just a teenage crush."

"Yes, Alice, I still love him, I always have and that's what hurts the most, because he never felt like that about me. Can we please change the subject now?"

"Sure. So what's all this I hear about you wanting to go to Afghanistan to write a story with Angela Webber? When my dad mentioned it over dinner last night, my mum went mad. She doesn't want you to go and Edward agrees with her. He and that Denali woman were there, too. God, she's such a bitch. They have nothing in common you know. Mum and Dad don't like her at all. She talks down to everyone, including Edward, and like an idiot he just sits there and lets her berate him. Jazz had to stop me from giving her a verbal lashing I can tell you."

"I want to go, Ally; I need to get away for a while. It's all starting to close in around me and I'll lose it if I don't go to some Edward-free zone soon. He was pretty cruel yesterday, cursing and swearing and shouting at me and Emmett."

"I wonder why he would react like that. It's not really like him. Hmm, I might see if he's willing to talk to me about it."

"Just leave it, please? You'll only make him worse. Just let's see if I'm even allowed to go before we start making further waves."

The rest of our lunch was spent talking office gossip and family news. Our time was over far too quickly and as we rose to head back to the office, we came face to face with my tormentor and his latest flame.

"Alice, Bella, good lunch I hope. Tanya and I are just heading in, can you recommend anything?"

I did not reply; instead, I looked down at my shoes. Shit, I just realized that I had removed my jacket again and now he would have another excuse to have a go about my blouse. Once the pleasantries were over, Alice and I left. As we walked away, I turned to look over my shoulder. He was stood staring at us.

"Bella, you have to wear that suit and blouse more often, it looks shit hot on you. He was totally undressing you with his eyes back there. You do realize that, don't you? I love it, Edward perving over my bff. This is classic, Tanya Denali will be history in days. You do know you can't go to Afghanistan now, don't you? You need to be here to woo him. This is great, my brother and my best friend. Oh, Bella, we'll be sisters for real!"

Shocked at her ramblings, I told her to stop. It was bad enough that I let myself remember, never mind her making me think we could be more again.

We parted with a kiss on the cheek and a promise of dinner one night later in the week. The office was quiet now that it was lunchtime. I was glad; it would give me time undisturbed to reflect on what Alice had said. I was still reeling with the knowledge that the Cullen's knew Edward and I had been fooling around back then. God, that meant Emmett, who was now my boss had known all this time and never said a word. I looked and felt a right fool, fearing what he must have thought yesterday when Edward reacted like that.

As one o'clock approached, I made my way to the lift to go up to the executive floor. James has been offered an office up here, but he preferred to stay on the floor, as he described it, to be closer to the action. I was glad, too, because it meant I didn't have to come up here every day and run the risk of running into Edward.

Emmett's secretary and PA, Gianna, told me to take a seat, they were not quite ready for me. Jane Volturi approached and told me good luck and to stay confident. When the lift opened, I was surprised to see who exited; Edward, accompanied by his mother, Esme. I stood to greet her. I was closer to her than I was with my own mother.

"Hello, dear, I hope you don't mind if we sit in on this meeting. I want to be there to support you, Bella, but this scares me."

Squeezing her hand, I glared at Edward, knowing he was pulling out all the stops to get me to cave. He knew I loved Esme and he knew I would not want to hurt her.

"Esme, you know I love you, but I want to do this. Edward, I hope you had a nice lunch, it was certainly quick. I hope you didn't leave poor Tanya just to come and fight with me."

"Tanya's just fine, Bella. You have no need to worry about her. Shall we all go in?"

I felt like I was about to be sentenced to death. Inside Emmett's office were James, Jane, Carlisle, and Emmett, and of course now Esme, Edward, and me. I felt like a lamb going to the slaughter.

We all sat down and Emmett opened up a rather full-looking folder. Inside, I could see lots of photographs and I knew what was coming.

"Bella, we all think your idea of doing this story is exciting and we want to pursue it. James, Jane, and I have been up most of the night considering your application to be the one to go and cover this story. Please have no doubt we all know you would do a fantastic job. Your talent as a gifted journalist is not in question here, do you understand that?"

"I suppose; so why then are we even discussing me not going?"

Carlisle took over now, his eyes kind and gentle.

"Bella, love, you're like family to all of us. This assignment, whilst exciting and a wonderful opportunity, is also extremely dangerous and no one in this room or firm wants to lose you. We have to consider that. We also have to consider your wishes, so we'd like you tell us all here today why you want to go. We don't want to hear about the chance of career progression, Bella; we know all that. What we want to know is why you want to leave us and put yourself at risk like this."

Tears formed in my eyes at his words. He really did care about me. Esme's hand held mine tightly and when I looked across at her, I could see that she, too, had tears in her eyes. Edward's face and expression were unreadable, cold. I wondered if he was worried about me like everyone else.

"Okay, well, I think now would be the right time for me to go. I've worked hard over the last two years and I think I deserve my shot at this. I really have nothing keeping me here." A loud huff came from Edward and now he looked like he was in pain. "I've spoken to my dad who like you is concerned, but he also respects my decisions and recognizes that I'm an adult who can and will make up my own mind. I think two months in the field will revitalize my enthusiasm for my job and now is the right time to go. I hope you understand how I feel about this. I know there are concerns about my safety and I assume that file will only reiterate that. I don't need to see those pictures, Emmett. I've researched it all myself. I know the risks."

Edward jumped in then. "Okay, so you know the risk for you, but what about those you'll leave behind? Charlie, Alice, Mum, Dad, everyone here, and what about me, Bella?"

"I don't know what you mean, Edward. Of course I care about everyone here, but I'll come back and you'll all see there was nothing to worry about," my voice trailed off and I looked down at my hands which were now fisted in my lap.

"You don't know that, though, do you, Bella? You don't fucking know that you'll be back and because of that, I can't agree to letting you go. I've said it before and I'll say it again now here in front of everyone. Over my dead body! You will not go and that's final." Once again, he stormed out of the office, but not before I saw the tears in his eyes. We needed to talk about this, just me and him, and it was a conversation I was not looking forward to.

Emmett told me he and the others would give my request some more consideration, but he asked me to reconsider as well. He also asked me to talk to Edward. It was something I intended to do, but not here at the office, it needed to be somewhere private.

James walked with me to the lifts. "You sure know how to cause a storm, girl. For the two years you've been here, nothing, not a glimmer of trouble or dissent, and now you make a suggestion of a great story and bang, all hell breaks loose. I'm telling you, Bella, that boy has a real problem with me and it's not over work issues. Did you not see his face in there? He's in pain, Bella; he's terrified you'll be hurt. You're a good friend to me, girl, and I would hate to think you were in any kind of danger, but you don't see me reacting like he does. Ask yourself why that is."

Thinking over James' words, I sat at my desk and played with the same pencil that only this morning Edward had held in his hand. With a deep breath, I picked up the phone and dialed.

"Cullen."

"It's me, Bella, can we talk please?"

"I know who it is. Do you not think after fourteen years I would not recognize your voice? Do you want to come down here or shall I come up there?"

"I was thinking of somewhere more private, actually. Can you come to my place tonight or shall I come to yours? If you're free that is."

"My place it is, about nine okay with you?"

"I'll see you at nine then."

With that I hung up.

And then I started to panic.

**Okay, so next the chapter will be the talk. I need to know from you guys if you want her reveal her feelings to him or should this be about her going away? With or without lemons? Let me know, at the moment I think I've decided, but I could be swayed if I get enough opposing views.**

**Until next time...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Huge thanks and hugs go to Dollybigmomma, my wicked beta. She's totally awesome and makes sense of all my drivel.**

**Grateful thanks to Stephenie Meyer who created these characters we love so much.**

**To all who read and review, you rock my world. Love to you all.**

**Chapter 5**

I made sure that I left work early; well, early for me. It was around six o'clock when I pulled out of the underground car park and headed home. I wanted to prepare myself for what I was going to do tonight. I needed to relax for a while, build up some nerve and generally grow a set of balls. I was acting like the man was a demigod. To me he was, but today he was also someone who was trying to ruin a wonderful opportunity for me and I really needed to understand why.

Some of the things he had said in Emmett's office made my heart race. When he asked, 'What about me?' I had nearly caved. Okay, he had listed his mum, dad, and Alice, but he had included himself and I would never have expected that. I wondered what it all meant, if anything.

My phone ringing woke me up. When had I fallen asleep? Shit, shit, shit. I must have dozed off, the dream from the night before doing a real number on me. I was emotionally exhausted. I quickly picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Why are you still there? It's after nine. Are you not coming over, Bella, or are you just running late like all females?" his voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Um, I fell asleep. The phone ringing just now woke me up. Can you give me thirty minutes or so and I'll be there? I'm so sorry for messing you around."

"Don't worry about it. Look, it'll probably be best if I just come to you now. I don't want you driving over here half asleep. You seem determined to get yourself killed on my family's watch and I'll be damned if I'll be even more responsible. Are you still in the apartment you used to share with Alice?"

"Yes, but its late, we can do this another time. We can arrange something tomorrow." I didn't know how I felt about him being here again after all these years.

"No, Bella, this won't wait any longer. You said you wanted to talk and I agree we need to do just that. I'll set off now, make sure you have some strong hot coffee."

I assumed the conversation was over when he hung up and I was left with nothing but a dial tone. God, he was coming here to my apartment; he hadn't been here in years, it had been at least four years at this point since he had stepped through my door. Now he was coming in about twenty minutes and I needed to get ready. I would worry about any consequences later.

Hopping into the shower, I quickly washed and conditioned my hair, knowing the familiar scent would remind Edward of our old times. Sat in front of my dressing table mirror, I dried my hair and scrunched it a bit, leaving it to curl on the ends naturally. I added a little subtle makeup and put on a pair of black leggings and a small white vest. I was about as ready as I would ever be to face him.

The coffee was ready when he knocked on my door a few minutes later. Nervously, I opened it.

"Hi, come on in. Do you want a coffee now?"

"Please, white, no sugar. I'm sure you remember I'm sweet enough." I rolled my eyes at the old saying. He used to say it all the time back then when we were...

He made himself comfortable, taking a seat in the center of my large comfy sofa. He sat back, relaxing into the cushions and crossed his legs in a very manly fashion. Shit, it meant that I had to either sit next to him or take a seat on the armchair opposite. Doing that would make it obvious I was uncomfortable around him. Oh, well. I handed over his coffee and headed towards the chair.

"Bella, come and sit here," he patted the seat next to him.

Gulping down my panic, I moved slowly towards my sofa, trying to gauge his mood.

"So, after the meeting earlier, I thought we needed to clear the air a bit. Look, I'm sorry you don't agree with me going on assignment to Afghanistan, Edward, but I really want to do this and I think I would be able to write a great story," I explained.

"I have no doubt about your ability, Bella. I thought that was made clear to you earlier today. It's your safety that concerns me, nothing else. The company can do without all the bad publicity should anything happen to you. I'm sure you can see the headlines now. 'Cullen Group executives send innocent young girl into warzone to be killed.' That along with the personal concerns of all my family; and I do mean all, Bella. As my father rightly said, you're part of the family, you know you're like a younger sister to Emmett, and Alice has always considered you her sibling."

"What about you, Edward? What do you consider me as?"

"I don't think now's the time to drag up what we used to be. Do you?"

"You said something that surprised me today and I'd like you to explain it to me so that I can understand and consider what it means."

"Oh, yeah, what did I say then?" he looked a little worried about what I might say.

"You asked if I had considered the people I was leaving behind. You also said and I quote, 'What about me, Bella?' I'd like you to explain what you meant by that."

He was bright red and looked a little lost for words, not at all like the Edward of today who was confident and a little arrogant.

"Bella, please, we've known each other a long time. Of course I would feel the same as the others if anything should happen to you. I just may be more practical than them by trying to prevent it from happening in the first place before being faced with such an event. Does that answer your question?"

"No, not really. So, you're saying that I'm like family to you, too, and that you don't want anything to happen to me?"

"Kind of; look, can we move on? Have you changed your mind about going?" He was getting angry again at me now for pushing these points.

"Of course not, and you being like this makes me even more determined to make sure it's me that's allowed to go."

"Well, it looks like this was a waste of time then, doesn't it?" he said gritting his teeth.

"So you just want me to give in to your demands and give up on my dreams?" I spat at him, really angry now as well.

"Is what you dream about, going off to some far off place and getting kidnapped, possibly raped, tortured, and ultimately killed? Wow, and here I was thinking all girls dreamed of their wedding day and their perfect man waiting at the end of the aisle for them, and maybe a cute house with a white picket fence and a couple of children, one that looks like each of them," he flung at me sarcastically. He appeared to be mocking me and I knew I did not have to put up with it.

"You can leave now; we have nothing more to say to each other. I can see the years have made you cynical and a chauvinist, and I have no wish to be in the same room as you. Goodbye, Edward."

I got up and stormed toward my door, ready to throw him out, raging inside at the audacity of him. A strong hand on my upper arm spun me around and he was there, close in front of me. His green eyes sparked with intensity as he looked at me that same old way again and I could feel myself starting to sway. Damn him!

"You're incredibly sexy when you're angry, Isabella Swan. That does things to my body I have no control over."

His lips were on mine in an instant, hard and demanding, and even though I was furious at him, I could do nothing but respond and kiss him back, wrapping my fingers into his hair and pulling him even closer to me. He felt wonderful, glorious even, his lips molding to mine perfectly. His hands gripped me closer to him, caressing the small of my back all the time we were kissing. We were close, so close, and I could feel how turned on he was, the proof was pressing into me and he felt so good.

It was over all too soon, though, much sooner than I wanted, and when he wrenched me away from him, a look of pure disgust at his actions was all over his face. I was mortified at my weakness for him and looked away embarrassed.

"Do you still want me to go home, Bella?" he asked seductively, a little breathless even.

So, although he obviously hated what we had just done, if I asked him to, he would stay and fuck me. Lucky me. We both knew we would enjoy it; that was never an issue. Jesus, he only had to walk into a room and I throbbed for him. One touch from his hands, mouth, or cock would have me coming all over him. I knew I drew out the same reaction from him, or at least I used to. I remembered many occasions where we had spent the whole weekend in bed. He was insatiable and I loved every fucking minute. No, being fully satisfied was never our issue. However, now was not the time for this if I was going to have any hope of staying on equal footing with him.

To answer him, I found the strength to walk away, denying myself what I wanted and desired the most. I opened my door, silently asking him to leave.

As he walked past, he looked at my lips, swollen now from his brutal kiss. "This is not over you know. I won't let you go and I always get what I want, you really should know that after all these years, Bella." He walked through my door shaking his head, his face sporting a smug grin.

Once I had closed and locked the door behind him, I started to shake. Oh, god, what had I done allowing him to kiss me like that? He was with Tanya and I had kissed him back. I felt cheap. I had never pegged Edward as someone who would cheat while in a relationship, but I guess I was wrong.

He was still going to try to prevent me from going. I wondered if his whole approach had been to use the sway he obviously knew he had over me to influence my decision just to appease his family. The thought saddened me. Tonight had been a complete waste of time.

In the bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror. My lips were still swollen and I could still feel him on me. Tears formed in my eyes and I did not know if I was crying because I was weak and had given in to him or for the fact that I had participated in betraying his girlfriend or even if I regretted sending him home. I knew I did not want his kiss to end and that I still loved him desperately. I was a mess, an emotional wreck. Afghanistan was what I needed to concentrate on. It might prove to be my only salvation. I had to make sure Edward did not get what he wanted on this occasion.

I was still tossing and turning when about an hour later, my Blackberry pinged with a message. As I was still awake, I sat up and read it.

**B**

**I'm sorry.**

**E**

It made me cry again, harder and longer, but I must have cried myself to sleep at least because the next thing I knew, my alarm was going off. I dreaded today.

I was in my office early with the door closed, so I guess a lot of people did not know I was there. I looked up when there was a knock and my door opened. I was surprised to see Alice there.

"Can I come in? I've brought peace offerings."

"Why would you need peace offerings?" I asked her wondering what she had done now.

"They aren't from me, they're from Edward. He told me about last night. He said you argued again and that you threw him out of your apartment. He wanted to say sorry I guess, so he asked me buy you coffee and a muffin."

"What else did he tell you about last night?" I asked trying to find out how much she knew before I spilled my guts.

"He said that you'd argued and that he made you mad and that he couldn't resist you angry so he kissed you and you kissed him back, then you threw him out. Is there more?"

"No, no more. I'm surprised he told you. I'm so ashamed, Ally, he's with Tanya and I hate the fact that he betrayed her like that with me."

"He isn't with her. Never has been, apparently, they're just friends. She swings in a completely different direction. I think it hurt his ego somewhat when she told him she preferred Rosalie. I wonder if he's told Rose," she laughed.

"Rosalie, huh? I can see the attraction of course," I said with a small smile. She sat down and we ate the muffins in silence, and the coffees were divine.

"He's scared, Bella. I think this Afghanistan thing has hit him hard. I think it's made him rethink his priorities in life. He was very open with me and Jazz after he left you last night. Bella, he cares for you, of that I have no doubt, but he thinks you hate him so he puts up a wall to protect himself. It seems you two can't even talk without arguing these days. What are you going to do about him, Bella? He's my brother and I love him, but you're my best friend forever and I love you, too, and I hate that you're both hurting like this. What can I do to help?"

"Nothing, Ally, please, just leave it alone. If we're going to sort this out, I think we both need some time and space and Afghanistan would be perfect for us to achieve that. You could always do me a favor and side with me about me being allowed to go. It might help, you being my best friend and all."

"It would hurt Edward and Mum, though."

"I know. Just forget it. I can argue my own case for going."

After Alice had gone, I decided to be the better person and thank Edward for the surprise breakfast.

**E**

**Thanx 4 the coffee and muffin.**

**B**

The day flew by and still I heard nothing from upstairs. At 6:40 p.m., I gave up and went home. Whatever they were talking about, it was certainly taking some time. Everything was quiet on the Edward front as well. No phone calls, no more texts, nada.

When I arrived at work the next morning, I was greeted by James, who asked me to meet him in Emmett's office at 10:30 a.m. I felt sick. I could not get a read on his face so I was none the wiser. Gianna's face told me nothing, either, as I approached her to let her know I was there. I did not have to wait long to be ushered into the plush office. Emmett and James were inside, and I was a little more than relieved to see that Edward was not present.

"Don't worry, Bella, he's not coming. Dad's taken him out of the office for the morning. He would've made things difficult. He's totally against this, that's why we didn't speak to you before now; Edward was on the warpath."

"I hope that means it's good news then, Em," I said expectantly.

"Bella, love, are you quite sure you want to do this? No one will think any less of you if you want to back out you know."

"I'm in, Em, I mean it. I've done all the research I need to do to know I want to do this. So, when do I go?"

"Well, let's see, we need to do a risk assessment and get you sorted with somewhere safe to stay. Contact your friend, Angela is it? See how she's fixed for, say, two weeks on Friday. That should give us plenty of time to get things sorted for you from here and enough time for you to say your goodbyes. I want you to take the week before you go off, go back to Forks, Bella, spend some time with Charlie. Will you do that?"

"I will, and Emmett, James, I can never thank you enough. Can I ask if Edward knows?"

"Not yet, but he will when he comes back later so be prepared for the fallout, although I think his anger will be directed at us more than you."

"I'm not scared of him, Emmett, I know he'd never hurt me physically. I just want to be prepared, we tried to talk the other night and that failed miserably. I might head straight home to be out of the firing line so to speak."

"I think that might be a very good idea," James added.

I was home before lunch so I decide to make myself a treat. I really did need to celebrate my success. I spent an hour or so making lasagna. What I didn't eat today, I could always freeze for another day.

I was nicely relaxing with a book and a glass of wine when my Blackberry pinged. A message showed James' name in my inbox. His message was cryptic, but I was sure I understood what he meant.

**Bella**

**Incoming missile.**

**Fully armed, a lethal weapon.**

**Go into lock down.**

**James**

I guess that meant he knew.

**Okay, so leave me some lurve and let me know if you liked it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**SM rocks, she created this whole world.**

**Dollybigmomma, there are no words. You astound me when you send me back my drivel. I cannot thank you enough.**

**Loving all the reviews, alerts, and favourites. Thank you. If any of you fancy rec'ing this story on any other site, please feel free to do so. The more of you reading the merrier!**

**Chapter 6**

After I had received James' texted heads up letting me know that Edward had gone ballistic, I went into self-preservation mode. I acted like the coward I was and turned off all the lights, locked up securely, and sat in the dark waiting…waiting…waiting.

Just how long I waited I had no idea.

When it dawned on me that he wasn't coming, I had to admit that I was a little disappointed on some level, childish as that sounded. It seemed like he didn't even care enough to come and shout at me anymore. Curled up and wrapped in a thick warm throw on my comfy sofa, I must have fallen asleep. When I woke up, it was still dark and when I looked at my Blackberry to see the time, it was 4:09 am. There were no missed calls, no text messages, and no one had come banging on my door, of that I was sure. So much for the armed missile heading my way.

I decided to head to bed for another few hours. I didn't need to be in the office till at least nine o'clock this morning, so I could reset my alarm for 7:30 a.m. and get in another three and a half hours of much needed sleep.

I walked into my office to find a huge arrangement of flowers sitting proudly on my desk made up of roses of all colors, carnations, lilies, you name it and they were in there. I wondered if they were from him. My heart missed a beat hoping they were. The note simply said they were from all my colleagues, wishing me good luck and a safe return. My nose was buried in the beautiful arrangement taking in their scent when my office door opened and Emmett walked in.

"Morning, Bella, you okay?"

"Good morning, Emmett, I'm very well, thank you. What about you? Was he bad when he found out yesterday? James' warning text to me likened him to a loaded missile."

"Yeah, I thought I was going to have to punch him to calm him down, but in true Edward style, he stormed off, slamming every door he could find." He looked quizzically at me now, "Does that mean he didn't come over to yours?"

"Nope, not a sign of him, no phone calls, either. Maybe he's given in and accepted our decision and knows that he's defeated on this."

"Do you really believe that, Bella? I thought you knew my brother better than that. He's not turned up this morning yet, either. Will you let me know if he gives you any grief when he eventually shows?"

"I can handle Edward, Emmett. I just hate being the cause of trouble between you and he knows it." I started to tidy my desk, even though it did not need doing. "I spoke to Charlie; I'm flying out to see him on the Saturday before I go. I'll spend five days in Forks before coming back here to pack my stuff properly and then I'll be ready to be off."

"Well, that means we'll have time to talk before you leave. Maybe we can all go to Mum and Dad's for dinner one evening."

"I'd like that, Em, but I'm guessing I know someone who will disagree."

"We'll worry about him when the time comes, love. I'm off back upstairs. See you later, baby girl."

I had hated the nickname Emmett had given me from a very early age. I knew he would still be using it when I was forty-five knowing him.

James wanted me to tie up all of my loose ends so that when I left, I had nothing left pending and Tyler, who was my deputy, could take over with a clean sheet.

The plan was that he was going to shadow me this week so that he would be aware of what I had to deal with on a day-to-day basis; sort of a quick induction course on how to be an editor in a week. He was good so I had no doubt he would be just fine in my absence.

By the time I was headed home at the end of the day, no one had heard from Edward. He had gone AWOL. I considered sending him a text to ask if he was okay, but then I thought better of it. He might get the wrong idea and come back and cause me more trouble. No, Edward Cullen was big enough and ugly enough to look after himself I reasoned with myself.

A long hot soak in the bath awaited me. I treated myself to autumn fruit-scented candles; they created the smell of mulled wine and somehow I found that really calming. I dimmed the lighting and poured myself a large glass of cold white wine. Adele's '21' was playing softly from my iPod now sat in its docking station. I had yet to find a song on the track list that I did not like. I lost myself in the luxurious bubbles and relaxed for what seemed like the first time in ages.

My mind wandered to 'the special one'. I wondered where he could be and I hoped he was alright. Stupid, pig-headed, gorgeous idiot, I was sure he must have been fine because the family would have let me know if anything had happened to him. Wouldn't they?

A bit panicky now, I decided to ring Alice before it was too late, just to make sure he was okay. I could do without having him on my conscience while I was away.

"Alice, it's me."

"Swan, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I was just wondering if you'd heard from Edward. Is he okay?"

"Just a text to say he needed to clear his head and not to worry. You know how dramatic he is, Bella. He really should have majored in drama; he'd have won an Oscar by now. He'll be holed up somewhere drunk as a skunk, wallowing in self-pity. I'm sure you can imagine it as well as me. Congrats by the way on the assignment, Em told me."

"Yeah, thanks. Are you sure he'll be okay?"

"Who, Edward? No, but he's a big boy and he has his phone with him if he needs help. He doesn't deserve you worrying about him, Bella, just remember that."

"I know, but I still lo...care about him, it's not going to go away any time soon. You know that as well as I do." I needed to change the subject before we ended up arguing. "So, I'm off to Forks on Saturday, saying goodbye to Charlie and all that, fancy coming with me, making it a girls' trip?"

"That would be awesome, but I need to check my work schedule and talk to Jazz first. Can I get back to you tomorrow?"

"Sure, it was just a thought. Look, I'm in the bath and I'm shriveled up like a prune stone and the water is getting cold so I'm off. Speak to you tomorrow. Love you, pixie."

"Yeah, later, Swan. Love you more."

The rest of the week flew by and there was still no word from Edward. Alice kept reassuring me he was fine, just indulging in a tantrum, but that didn't make me worry any less about him. I couldn't decide if I was glad he was being silent and withholding his anger from me or if I wanted to see him so we could have another go. Either way I missed him. Besides, Afghanistan was still happening and there was nothing he could do about it now, thankfully.

All my loose ends were tied up and I felt like I could leave without having anything hanging in the air. It was not like I wasn't coming back, right?

Alice could only come to Forks for two days since she had a meeting she could not get out of, but that meant I would have time at the end of the week to focus on just me and my dad. A little bit a quality father and daughter time sounded lovely. God only knew whether or not we would ever have time together like this again. I forced myself to stop that train of thought.

However real, I didn't even want to think of that possibility.

**Okay, so I know that this chapter is short and NOT what you were all expecting. What would be the point of giving you what you wanted straight away? I need to tease and create the right atmosphere.**

**So if you are all good and send me your hate, I will update soon and maybe, just maybe, the next chapter will satisfy some of your urges.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Beta extraordinaire is Dollybigmomma. Quite brilliant at turning my drivel into something worth a look.**

**Grateful thanks to Stephenie Meyer who owns all that is Twilight.**

**Loving the reviews, keep them coming. They make me write faster.**

**Chapter 7**

We flew out of Newark to Seattle, and then got on a city hopper to Port Angeles. My dad would pick us up from there and drive us back to Forks. Alice was going to stay at her parent's place. Carlisle and Esme had never sold it, so everyone used the house when they needed to get away and wind down for a while. The Cullen men used it when they hunted on their annual boys' weekend during hunting season.

It was probably for the best that Alice had somewhere of her own to stay. My dad's place was tiny and even I struggled to feel at home there these days. Alice assured me she would be fine on her own in the Cullen's sprawling mansion deep in trees on the outskirts of the forest surrounding Forks.

We dropped her off first and my heart missed a beat when the old place first came into view.

"The old place looks good, Alice. You sure you'll be okay out here on your own?" Charlie asked before she got out of the cruiser.

"I'll be fine, Charlie. Anyhow, I'll be over at yours most of the time or we'll be out and about. No need to worry about me and I agree, the place looks great. I think Mum and Dad have someone on retainer keeping things in shape."

After a series of hugs goodbye, we went home. Inside my old bedroom, I marveled at the peace and quiet, something you never got in New York City. There was always noise from car horns, music, and people. It was not somewhere to go to relax. I knew Charlie hated it there, it was one of the reasons he rarely came to visit. Just thinking about the noise and pollution, I could see him shaking his head now. No peace and quiet to go fishing.

Dinner at the local diner was an embarrassing affair. It appeared that in his infinite wisdom, Charlie had told the whole of the population of Forks how his famous journalist daughter was going off on some dangerous assignment to tell the truth about our troops in Afghanistan.

Droves of people stopped by our table and wished me luck or hugged me close to them, most of them I had never seen before in my life. I didn't think I stopped blushing until we were safely back in the car.

"Nice one, Dad. You sure know how to embarrass a girl. I didn't even know half of those people."

He made no comment and the silent drive home reminded me that I used to love this sort of solitude. Nowadays, though, I guess I was just not used to it.

Alice had driven herself into town using Edward's old Volvo. My heart lurched when she pulled up beside my dad's cruiser in it as memories of our long-forgotten weekends flooded my mind. Tears had to be pushed away before anyone saw.

Now she had gone home to sleep and tomorrow we were going to catch up with some old school friends who had not quite flown the Forks nest. Jessica, Lauren, and Mike had stayed in Forks after graduation. Mike had taken over his parent's outdoor activity business which supplied tourists with everything they needed for a stay in the mountains of Washington. Lauren had married a local builder at eighteen right out of high school, so she didn't go to uni. She now had four kids and I'd heard that she already had one divorce under her belt and another pending.

Jessica stayed because of Mike. They had always had a thing at school, sometimes they were on, sometimes off. The sad part was that if I had said yes to Mike Newton, poor Jessica wouldn't have stood a chance with him. He pursued me relentlessly for years. I was never interested; there was ever only Edward for me. Now Jessica and Mike were married and from what Alice had gleaned, they were really happy and looking forward to the arrival of their first child.

Tomorrow would be a good day. I was looking forward to catching up. Alice was leaving the day after to go back to New York and Jasper. I needed to make the most of my time left with my best friend while she was here. I was going to miss her.

I drove Alice to the airport in Edward's Volvo. I think she suggested it so that on the way back, I would have something familiar and comforting close. It still smelled like him and in a sad way, it did give me a little bit of comfort. Dad was going to drive back to the Cullen's with me so I had a ride home once I had dropped the Volvo off.

Tears fell freely at the airport. We held each other tightly until at last her flight was called for boarding.

"You stay safe, Swan, or you'll have me to deal with, do you understand?" she said between sobs.

"I'll see you in no time at all, I promise. I'll email you every day until I get back on Thursday. I'm having dinner with you lot on Thursday night don't forget. Do you think Edward will be back by then? Do you think he'll come to say goodbye? If I don't get the chance before I go, will you tell him that I said…I wanted to say…never mind." I knew I was waffling and sounded like a crazy person, but I couldn't help it.

On the lonely drive back to Forks, I broke down. I think it was only just hitting me that I would soon be thousands of miles away from everyone I loved. Edward, Alice, my dad, Esme, and the rest of the Cullen's. Sobbing, I had to pull over for a few minutes. I needed to be safe. I tried to control the flow of tears; I did not want to damage Edward's precious leather seats. Oh, yeah, he would love me for that, cracked leather in his precious Volvo all due to Swan's lack of control. I could just hear him now.

Pulling up outside my dad's house, I turned the engine off and waited for him to come out. I decided to listen to some music and turned on the CD player. No surprise on what I heard; Debussy's Claire de Lune drifted through the expensive sound system. We both loved this music, more confirmation of our compatibility. The tears started again.

Fortunately for me, my dad did not notice that I was crying as he walked past the Volvo and got into his police cruiser. I followed him out of town at a snail's pace. Trust my dad to stick to the town's speed limit when I was driving a car that could fly.

As we wound our way down the long Cullen drive towards the house, my eyes were drawn to a movement in one of the bedroom windows. It was just a glimpse, a shadow. Maybe it was the retainer cleaning up after Alice had gone, or maybe even a trick of the light on my tired eyes.

With the car parked up in the triple garage, I looked back to see if I could spot anything else. I didn't.

"Dad, did you see anyone moving about inside?" I asked him as I got in the car.

"No, but I didn't look. Why, did you see something?"

"I'm not sure; it might have been the cleaner or even a trick of the light. Will you check all the doors before we leave so I know the house is secure?"

"You wait here, Bells, I'll be right back."

He went into sheriff mode as he climbed the steps to the front door. I was more than a little relieved when he tried the door but it remained firmly closed. It was obviously locked. Charlie made his way around the building, looking through windows and making sure all the doors and patios were locked. He was nothing if not thorough.

Back at home, I headed off to bed, tired due to all the emotional stress I had been under. Tomorrow, Charlie was taking me fishing. Lovely! I was so looking forward to that. Not. I seriously thought about praying for a bout of freak weather which would keep us from going out of the house. I had always hated fishing, the smell of raw fish making my insides turn over. I knew, however, that my dad was looking forward to us spending the day together, quality father and daughter time he had said when he suggested it.

The day dawned bright and even a little warmer than usual. Just my luck. We set off after breakfast, Charlie already having made up a picnic basket for us after I'd gone to bed last night.

The day was long and incredibly boring. Every time I tried to start up a conversation, dad would shush me because I was disturbing the fish. After catching not one fish all day, I was glad when he finally decided to call it a day. He packed up while I sat and waited patiently in the car for him.

Our time together was coming to an end. Today was Wednesday and it was my last full day in Forks with him. I flew out tomorrow at noon. I was a little disappointed when he was called into work, so instead of sitting at home waiting for him, I decided to drive myself down to the beach and take a walk, clear my head a little.

I used to love this beach, so many memories of times gone by, happy times here with Edward. The coast here was harsh and even though the beach stretched for miles, the sea here was not calm. Surfer's came here en masse at certain times of the year to surf the rough waters, the breakers powerful and unforgiving.

With the weather being warm, I decided I wanted to walk barefooted so I slipped off my trainers and carried them in my hand. Edward and I always used to walk along here in our bare feet. The feel of the cold sand under my feet and in between my toes calmed me. I did not know why. Sand, I remembered sand. The memory flooded my mind and all of a sudden I was a bit hot and bothered and blushing furiously at the memory of the sand not just getting in between my toes, but invading other body parts as well during some our more adventures beach excursions. I also remembered quite clearly how it still kept turning up when I showered for days after.

I wandered along the shore, keeping just out of the surf. Occasionally, I found a shell or a pebble that looked interesting and stooped to pick them up. I threw them all into the water after looking at them.

Reaching the rocky outcropping about a mile away from where I had parked, I decided to sit for a while and contemplate my future. I was no wiser on how best to proceed when I decided it was time to get up and move on. I walked further and further, deep in thought and not really taking in the time or how far I had gone. The peace and tranquility along with the sound of the crashing waves numbed my sense of sadness.

The sun was setting now so I decided it was time to head back. I must have walked a good couple of miles if not more along the beach away from my car. As I sauntered along back in the direction from which I came, I could see someone else now sitting on the rocks where I had sat earlier. It was the first person I had seen here all day.

Thinking no more of it, I continued my journey back towards the car. As I got closer to the rocks, I could see that the person was still sitting there, deep in concentration it appeared. They hadn't noticed me as they stared out to sea, throwing an occasional stone, sending it skimming across the water.

There was something familiar about them; their posture, the whole shape of their body and how they were sat seemed familiar, but I could not quite make them out until I got a bit closer…

It was Edward.


	8. Chapter 8

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Chapter 8**

Edward was sat looking out to sea. He hadn't turned once. I doubted he would be expecting to see anyone here, let alone me. As I approached, I pondered on whether to just give him a wide berth or whether to take the bull by the horns and speak to him.

I decided the latter was probably the better thing to do. I was, after all, leaving tomorrow for New York and then Afghanistan the following day.

Stood behind him now, I was really nervous. He looked wonderful. Well, his back did anyway; that was all I could see at the moment. With a little cough, I got his attention. "Edward? So this is where you ran off to. I knew I saw someone in the house the other day when I dropped the car off."

He turned quickly at the sound of my voice and I could see his face was troubled. His eyes were dull, the vibrancy of the green was gone and I wondered why. There were large black circles around his eyes, too, and I could tell he hadn't been sleeping. I had seen his eyes like this before. We once weren't able to see each other for about three weekends on the bounce; he had things to do, I had things to do. When we did eventually reconnect, he looked exactly like this. If I recalled correctly, he had said he'd missed our time together and he hadn't been sleeping very well without me.

"Bella, where did you come from?" a small glint of something now back in his beautiful eyes.

"I've been walking for a while, just sauntering along, killing some time. It's been nice, peaceful."

"You're barefooted," he stated the obvious, looking down at my bare feet, then at the trainers in my hand.

"Wow, you sure don't miss a trick," I smiled, hoping to lighten the atmosphere between us. "Yeah, I still like the feel of the sand under my feet."

"Funny, we always used to walk here barefooted, didn't we? Looks like some things never change."

He got down from the rocks so that he wasn't looking down on me and we were finally stood face to face. I fidgeted from one foot to the other, shifting my weight a little awkwardly, not knowing what to say next.

"So, I guess I'd better head back, it'll be dark soon and I don't..."

"I'll walk back with you if you don't mind too much?" he interrupted me.

"Sure, so did Alice know you were here?"

"Not until she scared me half to death when she arrived at the house. I'd fallen asleep on the couch after having a few too many JD and Cokes. When I opened my eyes, she was hovering over me. Scared me shitless she did."

We both laughed, knowing exactly how Alice would have reacted to finding Edward drunk and asleep on the sofa.

"I borrowed your Volvo when I took her to the airport, I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind, you can use it anytime. I'd much rather you use my car than drive around in that bloody death trap of a truck you refuse to get rid of. Bloody thing should have been sentenced to the scrap yard years ago," he grumbled.

"Hey, don't hate the truck," I complained and he laughed.

He surprised me again with his next question. "So, Friday then?"

"Yes, but are you sure you want to talk about this? I mean you won't lose your temper or storm off in a sulk or anything will you? There are no doors to slam around here. We don't have to talk about it, even though it's a white elephant between us."

"I know you're going to go, Bella, I get that. I might not like it or agree with it, but I do realize it's going to happen. I just need to learn how to deal with it is all," he said quietly shaking his head. "So, how long will you be away?"

"Six weeks at the most, possibly less depending on how things go, how much is going on whilst I'm there. Angela says you just never know from week to week how quiet things are going to be. Last week was a good week I think, no trouble from the Taliban. However, her latest email said that some extremists had come down from the hills and planted bombs all over and her hospital was dealing with all the casualties, both military and civilian. I'm sure it'll keep me on my toes."

His face was stern, but not at me I knew. I had just told him of how dangerous it was over there now and I was going in two days' time. I could see he was struggling to know what to say and how to react to what I had just told him.

"Bella, that doesn't help," he tried to smile, but it failed and ended up looking like a grimace as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

"I know; I just wanted to be able to talk to you about it, you know? I'm having dinner at your parents' on Thursday, a sort of bon voyage. Will you be there?"

"I know, and no, I'm not going back before you leave."

Then he did something completely out of the blue and took hold of my hand in his, linking our fingers together like we used to do. He pulled me along to continue on our journey back to my truck. He kept a hold of my hand and I like it, it felt good.

"Are you parked near me?" I asked knowing that if he had been, then he would have known I was around here somewhere.

"Nah, I didn't come in the car. I was out for a run and ended up here. I guess I'm just drawn to the place a bit like you, eh? Will you give me a lift back? I can always give the truck a push if it needs it."

I went to swat his arm at his sarcasm, but he pulled away, letting go of my hand and running away from me laughing. Suddenly, we were transported back to our time together. We were always playful like this on our weekends and often ended up chasing one another down First Beach. I could not resist grabbing hold of that memory and pulling it into the here and now.

"Edward Cullen, you're so in for it now. Just you wait till I catch up to you!"

Chasing Edward Cullen had always been a fruitless task for me. He ran for the school, for his university, and for pleasure. Me, I ran away from spiders, I ran for the bus if I was late, and yes, I did fall over frequently when I did. I knew he was going at a snail's pace so I could stay in range. At one point, he actually turned so he was running backwards looking at me.

"Is that all you've got, Swan?" he jeered.

A burst of energy from me surprised him I think and I caught up with him and grabbed his arm. The only problem was my legs didn't stop and got tangled up in his and we went down like lead balloons.

"Ugh," I moaned as we came to a halt with a thud as we both hit the sand. Edward took the brunt of my fall as he landed first.

Shit, now I was on top of him. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, or bury myself in him. Even though he had been running, he smelled so good. His hard toned body felt familiar underneath mine, even though it had been a long time. His eyes were closed and he was breathing hard. I just wanted to curl up and stay in this position for the rest of our lives.

"Um, sorry, are you okay, Edward?" I asked trying to get up as ladylike as I could.

He did not allow me to, though. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer and I melted when he said quietly, "Hmm, I'm fine, more than fine actually. Stay here a while, it's nice; brings back some really good memories."

He pulled my head down onto his chest and nuzzled into my hair. We used to spend hours laid like this; we'd done it here on this very beach, we'd done it naked in bed, a lot, laid quietly on either his or my sofa and sometimes in our hotel room. It was just something we did, we snuggled.

I let myself enjoy the feel of him for a few minutes and it was lovely, especially when his hand stroked my back gently. I could not let myself get too carried away, though. He was just trying to be friendly, make up to me a little for his bad behavior in New York.

"Edward, it's getting dark, we should head on home," I said pushing myself up and looked down at him.

He was looking at me now, studying me almost. He did not stop me from getting up to my feet this time. When I had brushed off all the sand I could from my clothes, I turned to ask if he was ready to continue our walk back.

"Sand gets everywhere, doesn't it?" he said simply looking at me intently, but his words implied that he was remembering what I had earlier and I felt myself blush bright red. "I see that you remember as clearly as I do, Bella."

I did not protest when he took hold of my hand once again as we walked.

"I like this, being here with you like this, it feels good. I wish you weren't leaving tomorrow, it'd be nice to spend some more time together, catch up properly."

My truck was in sight now and I did not know how to respond to what he had just said. As we approached the truck, he dropped my hand and stood back.

"What?" I asked him.

"Am I okay for a lift back? I mean I can always run if you don't want me near you."

"Edward, get in the fucking truck and shut up."

He laughed but did as he was told for once. All the way back, he teased me about my taste in music. In the truck was a selection of CD's, Michael Buble, The Script, and Maroon 5 to name but a few. I had left Adele's '21' back in New York or that would have been in the CD player right now.

"I see that your musical tastes have taken a nosedive since I stopped educating you, Swan." I liked him calling me Swan; it was familiar and friendly. It also meant he was more comfortable being around me. "What are you doing for dinner tonight, Bella?"

"Charlie's taking me out," I looked down at my watch, "in exactly an hour. Oh, my god, I didn't realize it was so late. I'd better get a riggle on. Why?"

"I just wondered if you wanted to have dinner with me, you know; a sort of 'so long' dinner."

"Oh, sorry. Well, what about a drink later when I'm done with Charlie?"

"Really? Will you come over here after you're done and then we can decide what we want to do?"

We were in front of his house now so I readily agreed. I wanted to get off so I could get ready for my night out with my dad. He hesitated a little before getting out, and I wondered what that was all about. He walked around to my side of the truck and motioned for me to wind my window down. I did so slowly, a bit puzzled. He leaned on the open window with his arms crossed.

"So, I guess I'll see you later." He leaned in calmly and kissed me quickly on the lips, then he was gone laughing before I could say anything else to him. As he opened his front door, I was still sat there stunned, my mouth agape at his actions.

Not wanting to seem like more of an idiot, I put the truck in gear with a loud crunch and set off at pace. Well, pace for my ancient truck that is.

Charlie looked at his watch when I walked through the door and then pointed to it, "I don't know where you've been, but you have less than half an hour to get your glad rags on."

"Sorry, Dad, I was at the beach and time just got away from me I suppose. I'll just have quick shower and be ready in twenty, I swear."

As I ran past him, he shouted, "Oh, and Edward Cullen rang and said to tell you to dress casually for later."

"Oh, okay, thanks."

In the shower, I went over and over his actions. First, him holding my hand, second, him not letting me get up when I fell on him, third, caressing my back, fourth, entwining our fingers like a couple, and finally, the kiss. Yes, it was nothing more than a peck, but our last kiss had been anything but and now I was all confused.

Dinner at the diner was what it said on the tin; nothing more, nothing less. I felt like I was in a goldfish bowl because every person in there was staring at me. I knew I was distracted and I felt awful, but I wanted to get home and get changed and then head out for Edward's. I was a little more than intrigued to see where tonight would take us.

It was only just after nine when I pulled up outside the Cullen's place. Thoughtfully, Edward had put on all the outside lights so I could see where I was going, and I assumed it was also so that I would not be scared as it was a rather secluded setting and Edward knew what a wuss I was.

He had the door open for me before I could knock. "Come on in, I hope it's okay that we're staying in. I thought a few drinks and a DVD would go down a treat. You always used to love nights like that. If that's okay of course," he hastened to add, actually sounding worried that I would say no.

"That sounds fine to me, but I get to choose the film."

I cringed internally as I walked past, remembering Charlie's parting comment about seeing me in the morning because I would probably be staying at the Cullen's like I always used to.

"Beer or wine? We have both," he said walking into the kitchen.

I followed and looked over his shoulder into the fridge. "I'll have a Bud please. So, you got popcorn, too?"

"Oh, shush and go sit down."

I kicked off my trainers and took a seat in the corner of the huge L-shaped sofa, curling my feet up under me and snuggling into the deep cushions.

He laughed when he came in with a selection of DVD's in his hands. We argued over what to watch, but it was gentle teasing and it was definitely progress. Our conversation was light and friendly and I was glad I had come over.

'_Sweet Home Alabama'_ was my first selection. I hadn't seen it in years. Edward rolled his eyes, knowing I would be fawning all over Josh Lucas who played Jake. When we were young, I half convinced myself I would marry Josh Lucas one day. Edward used to tease me then, too.

During the course of the film, I relaxed and we sat closer and closer. The Buds were helping and I must have been on my fifth one now. My legs were over Edward's lap and his hands were massaging my tired feet. It felt good and I closed my eyes to relax into the sensation even more.

"You okay there?" he asked me.

"I'm perfect, just don't stop…oh, mmm, yes, right there. Mmm, oh, you're so good, Mr. Cullen," I moaned loudly.

I hadn't realized how close he was to me and when I opened my eyes, I was looking right into his. Some of the sparkle was back. I was glad. I had missed Edward's sparkly eyes. He always looked incredibly sexy and mischievous with the sparkle present.

"Hey."

"Hey. I wanted to say thank you for today on the beach, for coming here tonight. After the way I behaved last week, I don't deserve you being nice to me."

I silenced him by putting my fingers over his lips. He kissed them gently and I was lost. I knew I was sat there with my mouth hanging wide open like a fool, my legs draped all over him. He leaned in slowly, testing the waters I presumed. Less than two inches away from my lips, he paused. He looked tortured, like he was fighting with his demons. If he pulled away now, I would die of embarrassment. He didn't pull away, though. Gently, his lips met mine and his kiss at first was tentative, asking for permission almost. His eyes were closed, but mine were wide open in shock at his actions because fuck it if I wanted to miss seeing a second of him kissing me like this.

He pulled me even closer, my legs going either side of him as his lips never left mine. Now I was more or less sat on his lap. I could feel his need, hot and hard pressed against me. I tried to suppress a moan, but I failed miserably. It seemed to spur him on.

"Bella, oh, god, this feels so good, your lips are..."

He didn't finish his sentence; he couldn't because the kiss took a dangerous turn. Gone was the gentle caressing; now I was being devoured. I matched him all the way, and he was right, it did feel good. Better than good, actually; it felt fucking amazing and I never wanted it to stop.

Somehow, and do not ask me to explain how because I couldn't, I ended up under him, our kisses now hard and passionate, our tongues fighting for dominance. Then he changed it and went back to sweet and gentle. Sweet and gentle didn't cut it for me anymore. I needed him and I needed him now. He pulled back to look at me, realizing that we were dry humping like a pair of teenagers. I didn't care what it was, it felt fucking fantastic and I felt like I was one fire.

Pulling him back down onto me hard, he groaned and jerked his hips harder, grinding into me right where I wanted him. My hands ran through his sex hair, gripping and pulling as I kissed him with all that I had, and then they traveled down his back. When I reached his tight backside, I pulled him in closer, knowing it would feel even better for the both of us

Suddenly, he was gone. He was off of me and stood in front of me, presenting a pretty impressive hard on right at my eye level. Oh, how I wished he didn't have on his jeans right now. Looking up at him seductively, he held out his hand for me and said, "Come with me, Bella, let's go upstairs." Those were words I had waited to hear for four long years. I had been on an Edward drought all this time and now my oasis had come. Standing up slowly, I placed my hand in his and let him lead me to the stairs.

As we approached the first step, still hand in hand, something popped into my head...

**Are you going to kill me? You do realize if you do that you will not get the next chapter and you will never know what happens.**

**So, you lot are in control of the next update, the more begging and pleading I get, the sooner I will post. Fair?**

**Until next time.**

e


	9. Chapter 9

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Sorry for the cliffies! They just had to be done. Lol.**

**Welcome to all new readers! Feel free to join in the fun and craziness that bounces around in this head of mine. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. Good to know people like it. **

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**Stephenie Meyer is the lucky owner of these characters.**

**Chapter 9**

I stood frozen, one foot on the bottom step, unable to go any further with Edward up the stairs. Memories flooded my mind; memories of my calls going unanswered, memories of emails and letters sent with no response. Tears, so many tears, crying then sobbing, wailing even, devastating heartbreak, not being able to eat, not being able to sleep, and I never knew _why_. It all came flooding back and hit me in the solar plexus, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"Edward, please, stop, I can't do this." I turned to look at his face. I pulled my hand from his and walked quickly back to the large sofa.

My bag was there and inside was my Blackberry. I needed Charlie to come and get me, I couldn't drive home after all the bottles of Bud I had consumed, but neither could I stay here with him. It was all too much, too raw.

As I put the phone to my ear, he removed it from my hand and closed his fist around it. Looking at me with hurt and pain in his eyes, he said, "Bella, talk to me. What do you mean by 'I can't do this'? Please, love, talk to me."

"Don't call me love," I spat at him a little petulantly.

He sat down next to me on the sofa and sighed, playing with my Blackberry. Over and over he turned it in his hands.

"Do you hate me? Was all this," he motioned his hands between us, "a ploy to make me suffer, to hurt me?"

God, he sounded so emotional! Why would he be asking me questions like this when all I was to him was a convenient fuck?

"Is that what you think? That I'm giving you a taste of your own medicine? You obviously don't know me as well as I thought you did."

"It's been a long time, Bella; people change. I used to think you weren't capable of being a tease. The Bella I knew would never have been a cock tease."

"Am I supposed to be grateful that you thought so highly of me?"

"No, I just don't understand why you would want to stop, you were as into this as I was right here on this sofa. Did I break the mood by asking us to take it upstairs? I just thought we'd be more comfortable in bed, and then when we fall asleep in each other's arms, we'd be in the right place. Did I read it wrong, Bella? Don't you want me?"

Even angrier now, I glared at him.

"It's not as simple as whether or not I want you, Edward; I think what we were doing here on this sofa told you what I want, but it's pointless, and thankfully I stopped us before it was too late. I will not allow myself to be drawn into your world of weekend lovers-weekday strangers again. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Can I have my phone back, please? I need to call Charlie to come and get me."

He was looking down at his feet now, embarrassed almost, and I had no idea why, but he handed over my phone. Now I wrapped my fist around it like he had done moments earlier.

"If you really want to go, I'll drive you. I only had two bottles and I didn't finish the second. I was otherwise occupied," he said with a little hint of a smile in his voice. "I'd like you to stay, though, talk if you want to get this sorted out. I hate us being like this. The whole fucking Afghanistan thing has been bad enough without this on top of it. We need to talk, Bella; we need to clear the air. Let us put our cards on the table and see where that leaves us."

"No, now is not the right time to do this, Edward. I'm leaving Forks tomorrow and the country on Friday. Now is not the time to get into all this. I have enough on my plate to worry about without adding something else."

"Why not? Are we just supposed to leave things like this for another six weeks? I don't want you to leave like this, Bella. I can't deal with that as well as you being somewhere so dangerous."

"Do you not think I have enough on my mind right now? I came here to spend some quality time with Charlie. I didn't know you were here, Edward. Had I known you were here, I may have changed my mind and not come at all."

His head snapped up, a look of hurt all over his face again. I was struggling to understand why this was so important to him.

"You wouldn't have come if you'd known I was here? Wow, you really do hate me don't you?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about. Are you taking me home or do I ring Charlie?" I asked tired now from all the emotional upheaval and the alcohol.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere changed. No longer was the air charged with sexual tension; now it felt empty, full of nothing. I shifted off the sofa and walked to the downstairs washroom. Inside, I locked the door and slumped onto the floor. Tears fell silently at first, but then the sobs started and I could not control them. How could he even think I hated him? Could he not see how I felt about him? Could he not feel it in my every touch? Today was so special, in our special place we had reconnected. When we held hands and walked together, when we ran and chased like we used to, it had all felt so right. Now tonight when he had kissed me, the past four years had faded into what I thought was insignificance; that was until he pulled me back into the here and now and suggested we go upstairs.

Those were the words I had longed to hear for four long years and now we had both made a right mess of it. We would have made love if we had stayed on the sofa, of that I had no doubt. Esme would be delighted to know that our bodily fluids were not all over her lovely lounge sofa. Thinking about that made me cry even louder, and when a tiny knock came to the door, I knew he had heard me crying.

"Bella, you've been in there a while, come out, please?"

I didn't answer him. I couldn't or he would be able to hear the telltale sound of crying in my voice.

"Bella, I know you're crying, come out so we can talk about it some more. I'm sorry if my actions tonight have upset you. It was not my intention."

A sound made me go quiet, even though I still did not answer him or move. He, like me, had dropped to the floor outside the bathroom door. Did he really mean that he was sorry? Was he sorry for kissing me? Yes, that would be right. Now he regretted our kisses.

"Today was special on the beach, our beach. It just felt so right, you and me, back on First Beach, walking, holding hands, laughing and joking, chasing each other down. It was just how I always remembered it. I hope you remember it as fondly as me, Bella. Maybe it was a mistake asking you to come here tonight. I sincerely hope not, but now I'm not so sure. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to scare you. I realize now that my, our actions were a little irresponsible, but it just felt so right, you know?"

I did know, god, I did know, and everything he had just said I felt, too, but there was no way I was going to open myself up to him again and allow him to hurt me any more than he already had.

"Please come out so we can talk. I'll make us some coffee or hot chocolate, then if you still want, I'll take you back to Charlie's. Will you do that?

My hand had inadvertently started to stroke the door when he spoke. His voice was smooth and sexy, even when he sounded upset. He could get a girl to remove her panties just by talking to them. His words wouldn't necessarily have to be dirty, either. Me, he had me at hello. I contemplated unlocking the door and doing what he had asked. The only problem now was my face looked like something from the Addams family and I was a little more than embarrassed. The waterproof claim on my mascara was obviously a lie. Black smudges circled my eyes and ran down my cheeks. The waterproofing obviously didn't include an overload of salty tears.

He moved and I heard him get up, moving away from the door, I presumed to put on the coffee. I would have preferred hot chocolate. Still unsure how to remove myself from where I was, I sat there looking around me. My Blackberry was on the floor by my side. It had still been in my hand when I came in here. I decided to send him a text telling him I wanted hot chocolate. The ping of a response was almost instantaneous.

**You will have to come out to drink it.**

I stood and tried to tissue off some of the smudges, only managing to make a bigger mess. Giving up on trying to sort my face out, I took a deep breath and unlocked the door. I walked slowly back to where I had come from. Now I could hear classical music low in the background. I was relieved it was not Debussy.

Sitting on the sofa, I rummaged through my bag and found some makeup remover wet wipes. I quickly set about wiping the shitty mascara off my face. My small compact mirror confirmed that at least they had worked. Now I just looked like shit; red eyes, swollen from crying, my face blotchy and so attractive.

I felt him reenter the room and I immediately stiffened, wondering how both of us would deal with this. He handed over a large mug filled with hot chocolate, the top covered in marshmallows.

"I recall you seemed to like yours with marshmallows on top," he said sitting down next to me.

"Yeah, sweet tooth."

We sat in companionable silence. I was glad that there was music in the background as it made it a little less awkward.

After what seemed like an age, he finally spoke. "Look, Bella, I'm sorry, I just thought you were as into it as I was. I never meant to scare you. I'm truly sorry."

"You didn't scare me, Edward, never that, and I was into it. It's kind of hard not to be with you, but it still doesn't make it right. I mean you have Tanya back in New York," I added to see if he would own up to their platonic relationship, "I don't cheat with another woman's man. I think maybe we both got a little carried away in the memories, the place."

"You think I would cheat if I was in a relationship? You know before, when you said I didn't know you very well? Well, I don't think you know me at all. I would **never **cheat, not ever, and I'm not in a relationship with Tanya or anyone else."

"That's kind of hard to believe, I mean she's been on your arm now for an age. Alice and I thought you'd found the one. You've even taken her to meet your parents. That's sort of a sign of a serious commitment, Edward."

"Look, I'm not with her, never have been. We're friends, nothing more, and my parents know her on a business level. Why am I explaining all this to you?"

"I have no idea, maybe to convince me you weren't going to cheat on your long-term girlfriend?"

"Are you okay? I'm sorry I made you cry, your eyes are all puffy now. What's Charlie going to think? He'll come over here with a gun when you've gone tomorrow. I think I should be scared now."

We both laughed little as we finished our drinks.

"Stay, Bella, please, you can take whichever room you like, but don't go like this. I'd hate for you to go off to Afghanistan with us fighting like this. I want us to be okay with each other."

"I'm not going to spend the night. Look, it's after midnight now, I really think it would be for the best if I just go home. Do you mind taking me? I don't want us to fall out anymore, either. If you'll drop me off, Charlie will drive you back. Is that okay?"

He nodded reluctantly but did not say another word. He took our cups into the kitchen and placed them into the dishwasher. He slipped on a pair of casual sneakers and grabbed a chunky hoodie from the coat stand. He offered the hoodie to me.

"It's late and cold out, we don't want you catching cold and not being able to travel on Friday do we," he smiled sadly and wrapped the familiar-smelling hoodie around my shoulders.

We were both quiet on the drive back. It seemed neither of us knew what to say. Charlie had grumbled a bit when I had called and asked him for the favor. He did not understand why I just didn't stay and come back sober in the morning. I wasn't going to get into all that with him now, or ever.

Pulling onto my street, I was surprised when Edward pulled over a little further down than my actual house. Looking over at him, he calmly turned off the engine and turned to face me.

"Look, I'm not going to do this in front of your dad's house and if we pull up there, he'll see and come out to take me home." He took a deep breath and moved to take my hand. At first, I wanted to move it out of his way, but then decided that if this was goodbye, maybe forever, I wanted to feel him holding me just one more time. "I'm sorry again that tonight didn't go how I had planned. Not that I planned for us to sleep together or anything," he added quickly in case I got the wrong end of the stick, "I just wanted to have the evening like it had been earlier. I'm so sorry that I upset you, it's the last thing I wanted to do."

His fingers were gently caressing my palm and he obviously didn't remember how that simple touch turned me to mush. I was struggling to stay in control of all my emotions, both physically and mentally. God, I wanted him so bad.

_Fucking stupid Bella! You could have had him just once more. Right now we could be in the throws of passion, warm in his bed. Great, another brilliant decision there, Swan._

"Edward…"

I knew my breathy voice was telling him exactly how I felt. If he looked at me with those eyes, I would tell him to turn the truck around and to take us back to his. I hoped he didn't look at me that way, but at the same time, I wanted him to. It was going to kill me either way, asking him to turn around or to say goodbye.

"I'm sorry, too, for leading you on. I never meant for things to get so out of hand, either. It was lovely today on the beach; it brought back some good memories. Thank you. Look, it's late and Charlie's already not happy with me. I'd better get on in."

"No, wait, just a few more minutes," he pleaded, moving his hands now to my face, "Bella, I can't bear for you to go like this. Please, love..."

"Edward, I'll be back in six weeks, maybe sooner. We'll catch up then and have that talk, hopefully clear the air once and for all. Does that sound like a plan?"

"Okay, it's a date, but before you go, can I ask one thing?"

"Anything, you know that."

"Kiss me."

He actually fucking asked me to kiss him. Instead of him just kissing me, he wanted me to kiss him. Watching me take my bottom lip in between my teeth, he groaned. I knew my actions of biting my lip had always had quite a weird effect on him. He used to tell me it was 'as sexy as hell'. Weirdo.

With his hands no longer on my face, I moved slowly forward, intending to just give him a peck on the lips and each cheek. I should have known that I wouldn't be able to stop. When my lips touched his, I was in heaven; the angels started to sing and fireworks exploded in all the places I didn't want them to.

With a groan, I moved closer to him, winding my hands in his hair. Oh, fuck, I was going to miss his hair. His arms snaked around my waist pulling me closer, but he was still in control. Bastard was testing my limits. My tongue tentatively touched his lips and I had him. He moaned into my mouth and kissed me back with everything he had. How long we made out like a pair of teenagers I really had no idea. I was too caught up in how fucking wonderful his lips felt on mine. Oh, how good his hands kneading and caressing my back felt. If I died over in Afghanistan, this was the memory that I wanted to remember as my life flashed before me: Edward's lips on mine.

Reluctantly, we pulled apart with a groan. It really was painful to part. When I looked at him, I could see he felt exactly the same as me. He started the truck and moved slowly down the street until we were in front of Charlie's. The porch light was on and the curtains twitched.

"So, I guess I'll see you for our date in about six weeks then," I said trying to lighten the now-leaden atmosphere.

"Yeah, I guess so. Text me the time and place and I'll be there, I promise."

Charlie was shutting the door, a scowl on his grumpy face as he made his way down the garden path, so I moved to get out of the truck. Edward's hand grabbed my arm and I turned to see what he wanted. I was shocked that I could see tears in his eyes.

"Edward, please. Is this not hard enough?" I implored him to let me go.

"Bella, please, just promise me you'll be safe. I need you to be safe."

"I will be, I'll see you in six week if not before. I'll text you."

I slipped out of the truck and he moved over into the passenger seat, once again taking my face in his hands as I stood there. Looking deeply into my eyes, he kissed me gently on the lips. It was over in a flash as my dad opened the truck door.

"Bella, please come back to me, I need you to come back to me," Edward begged helplessly as Charlie got in on the driver's side so that they could be on their way.

I stepped back and shut the truck door, watching Edward's face disappear into the night as Charlie drove away. As I made my way inside, I wrapped my arms around myself to stave off the sudden onset of shivering. Whether it was from the cold night air or the desperate feeling of dread at the thought of being so far away from Edward, I did not know.


	10. Chapter 10

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Stephenie Meyer owns all that is the wonderful Twilight. **

**Huge thanks and much love to Dollybigmomma, my beta who is kind and patient and so talented. She puts up with my endless emails and makes sense of the drivel I send to her. Show her some love please...**

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**Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all who take the time to read and review. It makes it all worthwhile.**

_**This chapter comes with a tissue warning…**_

**Chapter 10**

I didn't sleep much. I didn't expect to really with all the emotions and alcohol running through my body. I heard Charlie return shortly after I had climbed into bed. He paused by my door, but he moved on when he saw no light on or heard any sound from within.

Over and over, I replayed his words in my head. _'Please come back to me. I need you to come back to me.' _They were words you said to someone you cared for, loved even. Why the hell was Edward saying them to me? It was not like he cared about me. I mean he couldn't, he had never said anything. His kisses tonight told me a different story, though; they told me he wanted me when we were dry humping on his sofa, and in the truck outside, his kiss then was tender and caring, yet passionate and loving. I was so confused!

Then it hit me and took my breath away; I had never told him how I felt, either, and I loved him more than life itself. What a mess, we really needed to sit down and talk. Now was not the time, though. I was going off on a very dangerous assignment and I needed all my wits about me. No, I couldn't be thinking about Edward and being in love while I was there. There would be time enough to sort this out when and if I came back.

Sleep must have taken me over eventually because when I woke up, it was quite light and a squint-eyed glance at my Blackberry told me it was time I should be up. Dad, bless him, had breakfast ready when I finally got down to the kitchen.

"Morning, Bells, you okay this morning?"

"Morning, Dad; yeah, I'm okay, I think, a little hung over, but not too bad. It's been a long time since I've drank so much."

"So, what's going on with you and Edward Cullen?"

"What do you mean?" I asked blushing furiously looking down at my feet.

"I saw you kissing him, Bella. I'm not blind and he wouldn't talk about it on the way back to his house when I asked. Told me to mind my own business he did, cheeky bastard. You _are_ my business and I told him so."

"Dad, it was just a goodbye kiss, we've known each other for years. He's my boss, too, well, sort of."

He grumbled on a bit more before sitting down and reading his paper. I guess I got off lightly compared to Edward. Poor thing.

It was quite emotional when it came time for me to leave. Charlie shifted from side to side looking at his feet and it took me walking up to him for a hug before he responded.

"You take care over there, Bells. There are people back here that love you and need you to come home safe," he said stoically, but I could see the telltale redness in his eyes as he fought to not break down. I didn't fare quite as well and pushed into my daddy's arms. He wrapped his around me and I could feel him trembling, but he didn't say anything else. He didn't need to.

As we stood there wrapped up tightly in hugs and saying our goodbyes, his words resonated around in my head. They were very familiar; they were the words Edward had used just last night.

The flight back to New York seemed longer than the four and half hours it actually was. Alice was meeting me at the airport and driving me straight to her parent's for dinner. I wasn't particularly looking forward to the tear fest that was bound to be. The look in Esme's eyes alone would be enough to bring me to my knees and I knew this, not to mention how mental Alice was bound to be. A real treat all around this would be.

My flight out tomorrow was not until teatime, so I had plenty of time to meet with James and Emmett on a professional level and get a briefing before I needed to set off. I would be flying out to Afghanistan on a U.S. Air Force cargo plane. There were no commercial flights into or out of Afghanistan; all the media had to have military clearance and travel on a pre-arranged Air Force flight. My photographer was a guy I had worked with before, a really nice guy named Bill Manley. He had years of experience in the field and on top of that, years of experience in exactly this type of dangerous situation. I was guessing that was exactly why Emmett had sent him with me. A sort of body guard, come big brother who could do the job to boot.

At the Cullen's, I freshened up with a quick shower before going down to dinner. Already seated were Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie. The men stood when I entered the room.

"Bella, love, come and sit down. How was your visit with Charlie?"

"It was nice, thank you, Carlisle. We got to spend some quality time fishing and talking."

"Not while you fished I'll bet," Emmett added laughing.

"No, I was shushed during fishing."

"So, did you see Edward while you were there?" Emmett asked sounding like he might not want to know the answer.

"I did, actually, we met by accident on First Beach, then we had drinks and watched a movie later that night at the house."

"Did you stay over like you used to?" Emmett asked me wiggling his eyebrows and receiving an elbow in the ribs from Rosalie.

"Thanks, Rose, and no, I didn't stay over, I went home. He was okay; he even talked about my trip without getting mad."

Esme and Alice came in then and saved me from more interrogations. Dinner was full of good food and even better conversation. We spent a lot of time laughing and joking as well as reminiscing about days long gone by.

As I predicted, there were tears and hugs when it was time to leave. I was a mess and so glad that Jasper was driving me back home. Alice was staying with me tonight, wanting to spend some one-on-one time with her BFF.

I left Alice and Jasper to say goodnight at the door after hugging Jasper tightly. The apartment seemed cold and empty now after being in the Cullen's house, which was full of warm family fun.

When my door closed with a loud bang, I knew Alice would be in soon, wanting to tear my wardrobe apart.

"So, where are we going to start, Swan? Have you even thought about what you're going to take with you? Just because you're going into a warzone doesn't mean you need to look like a hobo. Come on, where shall we start first?"

I rolled my eyes knowing I would not be going to bed early tonight. She was like a dog with a bone once she started. She flitted from wardrobe to wardrobe with her hands full of stuff on hangers, the occasional moan letting me know she was still alive.

Then she stopped and came and sat by me on the bed.

"So, are you going to tell me what you and Edward got up to in Forks or do I have to guess?"

"Nothing really, we talked on the beach, laughed, and even played chase like we used to and as usual, I fell over. It was good, nice, just like old times."

"Really, just like old times? So you fucked each other senseless did you? Because that's what you used to do."

"Okay, point taken, and no, we didn't have sex. We argued and I cried and then I went home. Can we please leave it, Alice, at least until I come back home?"

"So, if you didn't fuck or have sex, did you at least make love? You must have done something."

Knowing I wasn't going to get away Scott-free, I knew I had to give her something, tell her a little to whet her appetite.

"Okay, so we may have kissed a bit and dry humped on your mum's sofa, but I swear it went no further. Alice, he said some things that I have to wonder about. Has he said anything to you about me?"

"In what way, what did he say?"

"Well, he said I needed to come back to him, be safe for him."

"Okay, is that all? Well, of course he wants you safe, Bella, he loves you; everyone else knows that."

"What do you mean he loves me? And everyone else knows? I don't know that, he's never said anything like that to me before, never." I surely would have remembered that.

"He doesn't have to say the words, silly! It's obvious; well, it is to all who care to see. The way he looks at you, like you're the star that lights his moonless night, the way he's reacted over this trip, that should have told you so, too."

"Just because he got mad over me going to Afghanistan doesn't mean he loves me, Alice. I think 'everyone else' is reading far too much into nothing. So how is my packing going?" I added quickly wanting to change the subject.

"Well, I must say all the boring jeans and hoodie's you own are certainly going to come in handy over there. We'll need to get you something for tomorrow, though. You'll need something from their culture for when you're out and about. You know how they cover up in their burkas. I've already told Emmett to source something for tomorrow for you. Are you ready to hit the hay, girl?" she asked laughing.

"I thought you'd never ask," I said rolling my eyes.

Laid in the relative quiet of my room…I was in New York don't forget, it was never totally quiet…I let my mind roam over the last couple of days' events. I picked up my Blackberry and seriously considered texting Edward, asking him what the hell his sister was talking about, asking him if it was true, and why the hell was I the last person to know? I didn't, though, because I was a coward. What if they had gotten it all wrong? What if he was just concerned for a long-time family friend? But his kisses last night were not those given to family friends. They were kisses shared by lovers, someone you wanted to be physically intimate with. Oh, boy, the conversation we were going to have upon my return was sure going to be interesting.

Sleep was not restful, or dreamless. It took me forever to finally fall asleep, and when I did, the things that ran through my overactive and obviously sex-starved subconscious could have made millions for the porn industry.

_I opened my eyes to find Edward standing next to my bed. He smiled that smile of his that could make me clench in anticipation before he was even touching me. I watched his clothing hit the floor slowly, one piece at a time, and I knew I was on the verge of drooling just watching this masterpiece of a man. He slipped into bed next to me and his lips were instantly on mine, molding themselves to mine, teasing and gentle, passionate and coaxing. His tongue tentatively asked for permission to enter my mouth, exploring, probing, loving me. He moved away from my mouth and nibbled down my neck, along my jawline, and behind my ear. I about came apart at the seams from the incredible sensations._

_His hands explored my torso, softly stroking up and down my sides. Occasionally, his fingers massaged over my hips, under my arms, and up my ribs. He hesitated before caressing my breasts, but when my breath hiked, he knew I was allowing him access. I moaned and pushed myself into his hands. He responded by moaning into my mouth and rolling my nipples between his thumb and forefinger. It felt glorious, he was glorious and I knew I could not live without his touch. _

_I could feel myself getting wet, I needed more of him, I wanted all of him and I intended to have him, now. My hands now explored, caressing, kneading his hard body. I loved the smattering of chest hair and his happy trail, oh, god, his happy trail could bring me to completion just from a glimpse. He was rock hard now and pushing himself into my palm which was exploring inside his boxers. He felt velvety soft but like granite at the same time and I wanted him buried inside me. I needed him inside me. The long moan I released as he entered me was obviously loud..._

My bedroom door was flung open and the light came on in a flash. "Isabella Swan, can you please refrain from having wet dreams about my brother when I'm in the house? Good god, woman, I think you woke up the whole block with your moaning and groaning. Now go back to sleep and think about your assignment; that should put the dampener on your libido."

Alice unceremoniously flicked off the light and slammed the door before I could even respond. Shit, she had heard me dreaming of Edward. Great, now she would likely tell Jasper, who would no doubt tell Rosalie, who in turn would tell Emmett, and then I was fucked because he would tease me to within an inch of my life. Shit, what would I do if it got back to Edward? Well, that wouldn't be embarrassing at all now would it.

Morning dawned before I wanted it to. I knew I looked like death warmed over.

"Breakfast here or on the way, Swan?"

I pondered whether eating at the office wouldn't be better. I had a briefing in two hours and it would be more relaxed to eat there. Alice agreed and ordered in. It would be waiting for us when we got there. My bags were staying here until later due to the lateness of my flight, so I would be coming back here to be picked up at four o'clock this afternoon.

It was a tense time at the office. Breakfast was served in the boardroom as Emmett, James, Bill, and Jane joined Alice and me. We eat leisurely, talking shop and planning my story and how we were going to achieve our goal. There was an undercurrent of disquiet, but no one wanted to say anything to cause it to worsen for which I was grateful. I was already a bundle of nerves as it was.

In my office, colleagues came and went all day, saying goodbye and good luck, hugging me. It was nice and I liked that I had so many colleagues that actually cared. The clothes Alice had arranged yesterday arrived. They were, well, they certainly wouldn't be winning any fashion contests; black, full length burkas were, let's face it, unattractive. And I was sure they would be so very flattering. Not!

Alice hovered like a bad smell all day. She was making me crazy. Eventually, she took the hint and headed off to finish my packing, taking the additions to my new wardrobe with her.

The company's limo would drive me home and then onto the Air Force base at Francis S. Gabreski airport. Emmett and James were coming with me, and Bill would meet us at the base after saying goodbye to his family.

Inside the apartment, Alice had my supersized rucksack ready, and another hold-all would carry my laptop and work stuff as well as toiletries. I was ready. I felt sick, my nerves getting the better of me.

I had received a call from my dad earlier, as well as one from Esme and Carlisle. Nothing from Edward, though, Alice seemed to sense I was struggling and came over to hug me.

"Edward rang me earlier; he didn't want to upset you unnecessarily. He said to tell you to remember your conversation and he would wait for your text upon your return. He loves you, Bella; of that I have no doubt. I know we all tease you, but we would love for you and my brother to sort your shit out and get together. Now, do you want me to come with you in the car?"

Tears were now pouring down my face. I was pathetic; Emmett and James looked on embarrassed.

"No, I think here is about all I can take."

We hugged each other tightly and made promises to email and talk on the web-cam whenever we could.

Driving away from my apartment, I did not dare to look back, afraid I would get the driver to stop.

The airport was a hive of activity, military vehicles dashing between large aircraft. I went through all the security checks before Emmett and James had to leave. Bill arrived so I was not on my own. A series of high-risk checks were completed before we were allowed to enter the so-called departure lounge.

Hugging James first, he told me to be safe and to write him a great story. Emmett had tears in his eyes. It was so funny to see a guy six-foot-six and built like a brick shithouse near to tears. He just about broke every bone in my body as he hugged me tightly.

Bill and I made our way through the security gate into the departure area. Tinted glass windows now separated us from all we knew and loved. An officer approached us soon after and told us we could board in ten minutes. The flight time would be about fifteen hours because we had to stop in Germany to refuel.

With my handbag in my hand, we walked toward the doors that would lead us out onto the airfield. With one last look back, I dropped my bag. Edward was stood looking desolate at the glass barrier. His arms were raised and his hands were open flat on the glass. Behind him, Emmett was trying to get him to leave. He gestured for me to come closer. I could not deny him. Tears fell of their own accord and I did not know whether to laugh or cry.

With just the thick glass between us, I placed my open hands against his. It was a very intimate moment and one I would keep with me while I was away. Bill came over and took my elbow, leading me away. I never took my eyes off him. I could not help myself; I stopped and turned, mouthing to him the words my heart wouldn't let me walk away without saying.

"I love you."

_**So, are you crying? I know I was, and I was writing the bloody thing.**_

_**Edward's story is coming soon, probably next chapter or the one after that. I will consult with the boss and see what she thinks. Let me have your thoughts.**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Set Fire to the Rain**

Stephenie Meyer owns. I borrow and play. Dollybigmomma betas. God bless her for all her hard work and making sense of all my drivel.

****** Alert**** **

**Dollybigmomma is waving her magic wand over my story, 'Life is so Unfair' so hop over and take a look at the revamped (no pun intended) chapters and let me know what you think once they are up.**

**Chapter 11**

I sat in one of the few seats of the cargo plane and it wasn't very comfortable. I suppose I should have expected that seeing as these military planes weren't meant for passengers. There was no first class and business class here, it was all cattle. A couple of rows of basic seats seemed to have been anchored down mid warehouse, come fuselage. There was no letting the seat back or entertainment, or trolley dollies serving refreshments. Bill and I were offered a bottle of water by a passing young man, then nothing, silence of a sort if you could call it that with the drone of the engines.

My mind kept drifting back to Edward. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him plastered in all his glory up against the security glass, his palms up against the pane, pleading with me to touch them, his eyes full of pain and sadness, my own reflecting the same no doubt. I cringed when I recalled what I had mouthed. Shit, for six years I had kept that from him and now today, when I most needed to be strong, I weakened for a second and spewed it out. Well, now he knew, providing of course that he could lip read.

I let my mind wonder whether he would have seen any other words in what I had said to him. 'I love you' was pretty short and simple. I was guessing he would have had no trouble in understanding what I had told him. I took comfort in the fact that he didn't bolt the second the words were off my lips. At least I didn't have to face him for a few weeks to see his reaction, particularly if it was negative. Maybe he will have forgotten I had said it by the time I got back and we arranged 'our date'. I could live in hope, only problem was I was just not that lucky.

Bill and I talked shop and made tentative plans for how we were going to approach the story and what we needed to do in order to achieve our goals. Bill had been to Kabul before and he told me some quite harrowing stories that made me rethink what I was doing. He had made several contacts over there and hoped once we were there and he could reconnect, they would help us on the ground, being our eyes and ears so to speak. I planned, if at all possible, to get some background on the people of Afghanistan and what impact the war was having on their lives. I wanted to know if things had changed for the better or if they were worse.

The stopover in Baden-Baden, Germany gave us a chance to get a little fresh air and stretch our legs. Once I had known my flight path, I had looked this place up on the net. I knew it stood on the western edge of the Black Forest. The pictures I had seen online were stunning. It looked like somewhere I would like to spend some time to see the sights and not just its military base.

A little over an hour later, with more fuel and supplies on board, we were airborne again. Flying time now was about seven hours depending on the winds. I must have dozed off because when I started to come around, Bill told me we were only an hour or so out.

The landing was bumpy and we were thrown all over the place. I laughed at that. Not your usual commercial flight landing for sure. I was guessing the runway may have had a few potholes, caused by bombs maybe?

A shiver ran down my spine just thinking about bombs and stuff like that. I had to again question my sanity and why I had insisted on coming here exactly. I was a journalist, and a good one, that was why, I reminded myself. It was my assignment this trip to write about the effects of this war on the U.S. military as well as the impact on the civilians, an assignment that was my idea I hastened to remind myself further, and I had fought long and hard to get this opportunity, upsetting a few people on the way. I was of course thinking about Edward's reaction.

We were hurried through some sort of customs and our passports were stamped with a working visa, valid for up to three months. I wondered what Edward's reaction would be if I decided I was going to stay for the whole visa period. Hmm, twelve weeks away, at least he might have forgotten what I had said at the airport by then. I decided not to go there at the moment, though. If I thought too much about it, I might change my mind and plead to be allowed to go back on the next flight home to have that conversation now after all.

I was told to change into the burka. Even though I was dressed in casual jeans and a jumper, our escort felt it would be safer for me to be fully covered up. I took one of the oh-so-attractive black burkas and headed to the ladies' room to change. I felt totally ridiculous, covered from head to toe in black. The only thing showing was a letterbox-shaped opening over my eyes. I felt sorry for the poor girls who had to wear these all the time. I fell over the robes several times before I got back to Bill's side.

"Wow, Bella, there are no words. I have to get this on film." He was fumbling in his camera bag seconds later, giggling like a naughty schoolboy.

"Leave me alone, Bill, these things are ridiculous! I'm surprised they aren't classed as lethal weapons. I'm going to break my neck before the day is out."

I let him take a couple of shots of me in the gown before we were ushered into what looked like an armored jeep. It hit home then just how dangerous a situation this really was. I sat quietly in the back and looked out of the small blackened windows at my surroundings.

Everything was barren. The roads were not really roads, but dirt tracks full of potholes. People were everywhere, walking in front of the jeep, stumbling into holes, and shacks were dotted along our path. As we slowed down a good hour later, I looked over to see a proper military checkpoint and entrance to what looked like base camp. We were inspected, scrutinized, and searched before being allowed onto the site.

Row after row of large khaki tents lined the base. We were told that these were the living quarters of the troops. Further into the makeshift base was a large white building, roughly built out of what looked like breeze blocks and painted a harsh white with the familiar red cross of a hospital on each side. This must be where Angela worked; it was the hospital.

When the jeep came to a halt, I was helped out by Bill and we were shown to another tent, large and denoting a 'media' sign on the partially-open flap.

"All the media meet here. There are gender-specific dorms which you'll be shown to later. Miss Swan, I believe you're to stay with Dr. Webber, is that right?" a uniformed officer asked.

"I guess so; she's an old friend and my contact here."

"I'll let her know you've arrived. She's out in the city at the clinic right now, but as soon as she returns, I'll see that she's told."

"Thank you," I smiled.

"Great, so whilst you get special treatment, I'm thrown to the wolves. Is that it, Bella?" Bills said with a laugh.

"I'll put in a good word for you," I teased back.

Inside the media tent astounded me; rows of tables with laptops were already set up, a huge flat screen TV stood proud at the far end of the room. Men and women were busy, some on their computers. Some sat around drinking tea or coffee, watching the news on the TV screen.

Someone approached Bill, obviously an acquaintance. They shook hands and I was motioned over for an introduction.

"Bella Swan, this is Riley Biers. Riley, Bella here is an editor at Cullen's in current affairs. This is her baby. Bella, Riley is New York's most wanted freelance journalist. He sells his stories for big bucks."

"Hi, Riley; pleased to meet you. I've seen some of your work. Your reputation is well-deserved," I said honestly as we shook hands.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. The Cullen's are a demanding lot, so you must be good. So young, too."

"Please, call me Bella, and yes, they are demanding, but I love that. I thrive on pressure, or so I'm told by my boss, James Miller."

"Is he still there, the old dog? Is he still chasing anything in a skirt?" I could see he obviously knew James well.

A few more minutes passed by with us talking casually before Angela ducked her head into the makeshift room. She spotted me and rushed over.

"Bella Swan, it's so good to see you!" she said pulling me in for a hug.

"You, too, Angie," I said hugging her back.

"Come on; let's get you settled in my place. I've made some room for you and your stuff, but your work stuff can stay here if you like."

As we headed out, I could feel Riley's eyes on me. It made me a little uncomfortable because I liked him; we had gotten on well and had loads in common, but I did not want any misplaced sense of maybe I was interested, because I was not. I was here to work, nothing more and nothing less.

My rucksack and hold-all weren't huge so I decided to take it all with me to Angela's. I could always bring it back if it was too much of a tight squeeze.

Heads turned all over the base as we walked past many tents and groups of soldiers, airmen, and even some officers. I realized too late that it was probably how I was dressed that was causing all the interest.

"Can I get this bloody death trap off as soon as we get in?"

She laughed and nodded her head. "I presume they had you put it on in case you were stopped on the way in, although they do like to joke with newbies. They're very becoming, don't you think?" We both laughed some more at that.

Her 'place' was a small tent in the ladies' section. There were a few smaller ones dotted about, I presumed again for more distinguished officers and doctors like Angela.

Inside, I found it cozier than I would have imagined, but somehow roomier. Two single beds were at the far end, in between them a pair of bedside cabinets with a couple of drawers. A couple of easy chairs surrounded a small table which had been set out with a tea pot, two cups, and a posy of colorful flowers.

"This is great," I told her just as an enormous blast shook everything and I automatically ducked.

"It's okay, Bella, you'll get used to that. It happens a lot, at least a few times a day. It probably means they've found a stash of landmines or something. Stuff hidden, buried in the roads are common and lethal. I've had to treat some pretty awful injuries since I've been here. If they find them, they blow them first before they can hurt anyone.

"This is a scary place, Bella; you need to keep your wits about you. Westerners are prime targets for kidnappings. They ransom you and torture you anyway. The extremists are brutal, no human traits left in any of them. I think they must beat it out of them at their training camps. It's like being brainwashed I guess. You go ahead and get changed and unpack if you want. Sorry there isn't a shower in here, but I do have my own out back as well as a loo; come on, I'll show you."

Around the back of Angela's tent were two smaller tents, much smaller. One housed her very own toilet; well, I used that word loosely, not knowing what else to describe it as. The other housed a makeshift shower. Both would suffice I supposed. I was more than ready to take whatever was thrown at me and live as she did whilst I was here.

Angela told me she had some patients to check up on and headed out, leaving me to unpack. Wardrobes here were horizontal bars, covered in a thick polythene material to keep out the never-ending dust. I started with my hold-all first, putting my laptop on the bed. My phone and charger I placed in one of the drawers on the empty bedside cabinet. In the empty drawer I placed my toiletries as well as all my underwear.

The large rucksack was next and I knew Alice had packed me far too much. I was guessing I would wear the same things and wished now I had stuck to a few pairs of jeans and simple tops. Two more burkas, eight pairs of jeans, some of which I had never even seen before, and endless tops of all shapes and colors filled the bag to the brim. When I came across a neatly folded piece of pink tissue paper near the bottom of the bag, I hesitated, wondering what the hell she had packed for me now. I opened it reluctantly.

Inside, there were three pairs of very sexy damart thermals. (kidding) Trust Alice to know that the weather here could be brutal. Her note that was attached to them read, 'S_omething to keep you warm, Swan.'_

She did, at the very least, bring a smile to my face. My eyes also clouded over with tears because I missed her.

As I removed the final pair of sexy thermals, I saw another envelope and bent over to see what she had done now. A post-it note in bright yellow was attached to the front.

_Sorry for keeping this from you. He followed you back to New York on the next available flight. He wanted to be close. He asked me to give you this. I thought it might be nice for you to find it once you were there. Pixie xo_

Under the post-it note, the bold writing of none other than Edward Cullen stared up at me. I sat down on the bed and took a deep breath, opening the letter…

**So next up we hear what the man himself has to say. I hope it will be worth the wait. **

**Let me know what you think.**

**Until next time.**


	12. Chapter 12

_Dear Bella,_

_Please do not blame Alice for smuggling this letter into your luggage. I asked her to do this for me and I suspect that she did it by insisting that she help you pack. I know my sister very well and I think she just wants to help._

_Where to start; maybe with sorry? At the very beginning I suppose, if you will give me the chance to explain and read this letter to its conclusion? It's all I can ask at this stage._

_You were ten when Alice first brought you to our house in Forks. Can you remember meeting my family for the first time? I remember seeing an awkward girl with beautiful rich brown hair and huge brown eyes stood in our kitchen, embarrassed by her new friend's over-exuberance. You fit into our family straight away and I guess I was a little resentful of that. I had enough with one younger sister and didn't want another. You kind of took Alice away from me, too, and when Emmett adopted you as a new sister straight away, too, it made me the odd one out. _

_I resolved to dislike you, hate you even, or ignore you at the very least. I did for a while; I even managed to convince myself that I did not like you, that you were an imposter in my family. I achieved my goal for at least a couple of years, although I never did hate you, resent you maybe for stealing a bit of my family's love, but then you started to grow up. I noticed things about you. You were a beautiful ten year old, but wow, as you developed, you took my breath away. Imagine the reaction of a typical teenage boy. Yep, that was me. Your breasts started to develop between the age of twelve and thirteen. They were perfect, but you seemed so uncomfortable with them, choosing over and over again to hide them and yourself away behind baggy clothing. _

_I can remember quite clearly as if it were only yesterday one sleepover you coming out of the bathroom in just your sleep shorts and vest top. I was fifteen then and had to run to my room to hide the effect you had on my body. I spent a long time in the shower that night, Bella, I can tell you. From then on, it was all downhill, I was hooked. I worshipped you from afar. I thought no one knew how I felt. _

_Watching you interact with other guys at school killed me even though every time they asked you out, you politely refused. I can remember wanting to kill Mike Newton one time when he refused to take no for an answer. Even today, the thought of him pursuing you drives me crazy. When prom came around, I considered asking you myself until Alice told me you weren't going, choosing instead to go to Florida to spend time with your mum. I missed you like crazy when you went, even though we barely spoke. I hate to admit it, Bella, but I could quite easily have been considered your very own stalker. How did you not notice me hanging around staring?_

_For six long years, I watched and waited. I know I came across as a right prat, being sulky and rude to you. I couldn't help it, but honestly, I had to keep my distance. Had I treated you any differently, you would have known straight away how I felt about you and I couldn't risk your rejection. I am way too much of coward for that. Even now._

_On the night of your eighteenth, I couldn't stay away any longer. You looked stunning, it took all my resolve not to pick you up part way through the evening and take you upstairs and have my wicked way with you. You were old enough now I reasoned with myself to tell me to get lost if you wanted if you didn't want me. But I had seen your sly glances at me and I wondered if perhaps you were interested in me, too. That night when everyone had gone and I found you in the kitchen, I could resist you no more, so I carried you up to my room and we made love for the very first time; it is still one of the best nights of my life. I remember every single second, every touch, every kiss, all of it, Bella. Do you?_

_Then came two years of bliss, well, at the weekends anyway; I lived for Friday nights when we would meet up. I tried to make our times together as exciting and romantic as I possibly could without actually saying the words I felt. I knew we had something special when you planned special weekends for us, too. Why did we never talk about our feelings?_

_All the walks on First Beach holding hands, making love by a beach fire; it was perfect to me, for us anyway. You owned me, Bella. One touch from you and my body came alive. The weekends spent in bed, making love slowly or screwing like bunnies, fucking in the shower. I loved it all. Long days in winter spent curled up together up on the sofa, arguing over what film to watch or whose turn it was to cook or pay for the takeaway. It was all perfect and I wouldn't change a thing. Well, maybe the not talking thing._

_For years I loved you from afar, Bella, and then we were lovers, almost every weekend you were mine. I hated it when we couldn't get together, especially that time it happened for about three weeks on the bounce. Can you remember? I thought I was going to die I missed you so much. I ask myself now why I just didn't pick up the phone and talk to you, tell you how I felt. I'm a coward with a capital C. I was scared like shit that you would reject my love. You showed me with everything you did on a weekend that you felt something, but you never spoke the words. I wish now that I had had the courage to talk to you about it, to tell you how much I loved you. How much I still love you._

_One weekend, and I really do not know what made it different, we had met up as usual and made love for hours, it was wonderful. Like always, you slept in my arms and I pretended we were together for real. Something changed that day, though, and from that weekend, I became more and more paranoid that you did not return my feelings. You did nothing wrong or different, you were still as loving as ever on our weekends, but I was convinced that when you moved to New York with Alice, you would move on; meet and fall in love with someone new and leave me high and dry. _

_My paranoia and poor self-esteem overpowered me and I couldn't let that happen, my stupid pride wouldn't allow that, so I started to avoid you. It broke me to ignore your calls, your texts. Then when you sent letters, I fell apart. Ask Emmett sometime how he found me curled up in a ball, not having eaten for days. I'm so sorry I chose to ignore you; that I caused my pain as well as yours by not talking about my feeling with you. I'm a fucking arsehole, I know. Believe me, I know. _

_Emmett nearly beat me black and blue when he saw how upset you were, especially knowing how bad I was, too. By the way, did you know that the whole family knew about us? It was quite a shock one Sunday evening when I got back from one of our weekends away. When I joined the family in the lounge, I was asked quite casually if you and I had enjoyed our weekend. I nearly choked I can tell you. Mum just laughed and explained that they had known for a while and wished we would stop sneaking around. They all feel very protective of you. They wanted us to be together and out in the open. I didn't think it was so simple, I never gave you the chance to decide and for that I'm sorry._

_I swear that all the dates I flaunted in front of you at parties were just that, dates and nothing more. I never slept with any of them. I couldn't; it would have been like cheating on you and I could never do that. Then Tanya asked me for a favor. She needed a beard; she's gay and doesn't want her parents to find out until her trust fund kicks in. She's scared they will cut her off so she asked me to help her out by being her date to formal occasions and the like. It served a purpose for me, too, in front of you, although the time I saw your reaction to her when I turned up with her for the second time, I very nearly caved and confessed all. Alice will confirm to you that this is the truth._

_There is no one else, Bella, and there never has been. For four long years, I have been celibate because I do not want to be with anyone but you. When you came to work at the group, I thought I would hate seeing you every day, but to my surprise, I have loved it. I'm ashamed to say that I made up excuses to come to your department on the off chance I would run into you. I hung around in the car park at the end of the day in case you came out to your car. When the rumors about you and James started, I was inconsolable. Alice told me it was all bull, but all the evidence seemed to prove otherwise. I even saw you dining with him and it broke my heart, so I came out fighting. Yeah, once again I made the wrong call. Can you see the pattern yet? I'm an idiot with a capital I._

_Afghanistan is a whole different ballgame, it's dangerous and I'm scared shitless that you'll get hurt and I won't be there to protect you. It will kill me if anything happens to you over there. Please, Bella, stay safe. I only acted like a jerk because I was scared, nothing more, nothing less. You're a brilliant journalist, so we both know that is not the issue here. When Emmett told me you were going, I panicked and ran away again like the coward that I am. I wanted to come over to yours and kidnap you, take you somewhere it could just be the two of us; run away with you so you couldn't go, but my mum persuaded me not to. She made me see that you needed to do this for you and that I should respect that. I do respect you, Bella, and I respect your decisions, I really do. That is why I let you walk away from me back in Forks. Believe me when I say that with every fiber of my being, I wanted to keep you there safe with me._

_It was mum that suggested I go home to Forks. She even reasoned you might come there to say goodbye Charlie. I think now she already knew about your conversation with Emmett. I lived in hope. That day on the beach was wonderful. When I heard your voice, a thrill ran through me, and when you fell on top of me, my body reacted like it always used to. I wanted you so desperately in every way. I nearly told you my true feeling there and then. You felt so fucking good laid in my arms. I'm only sorry that I spoiled it all later that night by suggesting that we sleep together. There's that pattern again, wrong call._

_I want you, Bella. I make no bones about that. My body aches for your touch, but I want more than just sex; I want you, all of you. I love you. I have loved you for years and never had the courage to tell you. Now I want you to come back to me safely so we can talk about this, about us, properly. Now that I have done this, it will be easier I hope. I know we have an awful lot of bridges to repair; that is if you can forgive me and want me in your life. I ask only one thing of you upon your return and that is that you tell me the truth, too, no matter how much it hurts or how embarrassed you are._

_I miss you and will continue to miss you every single minute of every day that you are away. I pray that you are okay and will return home to me safe and well. I will love you every single day of forever._

_Forgive me for wasting all these years. I love you, Bella._

_Love, _

_Edward_

**So he may be a coward but he loves her, we always knew it, didn't we. The things people do to protect themselves.**

**What did you think? Was it the right time to hear his story? Did you like the fact it was in the form of a letter?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Wow, some great reactions to Chapter 11 and Edward's letter. I felt that by keeping things simple, it made it more real. Yes, I did consider going far more dramatic with his reasons for pushing her away, but in reality, he was and is just scared of being rejected. Exactly like Bella really. They do need to talk and will not be jumping back into bed as soon as they do. Lots of bridges need to be rebuilt as well as trust. It may well be a long road and Bella has Afghanistan to get through first.**

**I ask for your patience in this and to trust me. **

**As always, love and hugs and massive thank you's go to Dollybigmomma, my wonderful and talented beta. You rock, girl. I feel so humbled by her continued advice and words of support.**

**Chapter 13**

As I put Edward's letter down on my knee, tears dripped off the end of my chin. Fucking idiot, now he had me crying like a baby in a tent in the middle of a fucking warzone. Great. At first, I put the letter back in the envelope, but then I hesitated and got it out again. I did not know if I could be parted from his words. The words I had waited to hear for six long years.

I could strangle him for not telling me how he felt all this time, and now I had learned that he felt exactly like I did. Yes, I was a coward, too, because as his letter said, _**we**_ had never talked about our feelings. I was as guilty in this as he was. So now I knew he had been scared of me rejecting him; yeah, like that was even possible.

His words about us bumping into each other coming out of the bathroom all those years ago brought back a visual of a younger Edward, awkward and gangly, but still breathtaking even at that early age. Even now I could see him swallow hard as he took in my ever-developing teenage body. I always wondered what I did that time when he bolted like he had been shot in the arse without a word. I guess it made a little more sense now after reading his letter.

My heart swelled with love for this idiot with a capital I, using Edward's own description of himself as he bared all in this very open and long-awaited letter. It was kind of hard to believe that he had liked me back then when we were young; his reactions at the time were always a scowl or bolting from the room. Maybe now I could understand a little bit better about why.

It made me cry some more to know that our two years together were as special to him as they were to me. He certainly hadn't forgotten things; some of his memories, like mine, were crystal clear. He felt everything that I did and perhaps more.

I knew he had never understood the opposite sex's reaction to him and he never saw himself as good looking, but more awkward and shy. Good looking didn't even cover it, though. Jesus, even now when he walked into a room, every female stopped and looked, took a deep breath before either licking their lips, considering whether to approach him, or get on with their business. I had noticed over the years that that particular reaction to Edward had never altered. I had watched many of those reactions over the years and I had hated each and every one of them. The poor love, he had no idea of his effect on the opposite sex. I think his ignorance of his effect on women made me love him all the more.

Was I glad he'd had this letter put in here for me to read now? I was not sure yet. It felt wonderful to read his words, explanations I had longed to hear for so long, but knowing it now would certainly be a distraction that I could ill afford in this crazy place. I knew I would want to have it close all the time now. It needed to be close to my heart. _Pathetic, Swan, just pathetic._ I knew I was stronger than this, but damn it, I loved him despite myself.

The tears had stopped for now and I just sat and waited for Angela to return; pondering, thinking, remembering, and yes, smiling occasionally.

I found myself touching the letter, running my fingers over the seal knowing his lips had been there; but I refused to allow myself to open and read it for the fifth time. I think I knew it word for word already. Where was the anger that I should have been feeling knowing he, and we, had wasted the past four years? Four years that we could have been together, happy and in love, maybe even engaged or married. _Don't even go there, Swan,_ I chastened myself. I realized I was glad I did not know about Edward's true feelings before I left. Even though Alice had told me how he felt, I never seriously considered she would be right. I would never have been able to leave him. I ached for his touch now, his lips on mine. Knowing he loved me as desperately as I loved him would have meant that I would have stayed for the sake of our love and that would have been ultimately no good for our relationship; if we could get past all this and actually have one that is.

No, I needed to do this for me. Esme was right to tell Edward that. This would be good for me, give me a sense of freedom and help me grow as a person. It would also give me recognition in my own right as a journalist. The group was going to publish the story anyway, but now it would be done not in a newspaper, but in one of our Sunday magazine-format supplements. It would mean glossy pictures and a four to eight page spread, depending on the content I could get. Yes, I needed this; I wanted this to be a success. It would finally be my name at the bottom of the story.

I was still sat in the same position when Angela finally came back in. "Sorry I've been so long, Bella. I was needed to assist in a particularly nasty op on some shrapnel wounds. The poor guy is going to have some pretty nasty scars and that's if he doesn't succumb to infection first. So, what do you want to do now? Anything you want to see?"

"I have no idea for the moment. I'm really just happy to follow your lead, at least for now. Bill doesn't want to start in earnest until tomorrow, so I guess a look around the camp would be good if that's okay."

"Sure, let me change and we'll go for a walk," Angela said.

Ten minutes later, we were headed out. I didn't feel nervous; I knew we were safe inside the base. I was surprised that it was as big as it was. There was row after row of tents housing troops from the U.S. Army as well as the U.S. Marines. Locals pottered about, too. Angela told me they were taken on to assist in all areas where necessary. I noticed the women wore the delightful burkas. I made a mental note to talk to some of the local women about those contraptions and find out what they really thought about them. I knew what my thoughts on them were.

As we walked, Angela asked about my life back in New York. She asked about any relationship I might be in. Blushing a little, I admitted that it was really complicated and I hoped my time here would help me sort my head out. She looked at me a little concerned and I reassured her that my mind was one hundred percent on the job. I told her I knew that I needed to keep my wits about me while I was here.

We eventually came across the canteen, so to speak. The smell coming out of there made my tummy growl. It had been a while since I had eaten so we headed inside to see what was on offer. The menu was surprisingly varied and the food looked good. Sitting down at a small empty table for four, I tucked in.

"This is really good," I told Angela enjoying the Chicken Kiev and salad I had chosen.

"Don't sound so surprised, Bella. The forces today employ qualified chefs; they all have the right schooling as well as good training and a never-ending supply of ingredients and guinea pigs. I can always find something I like and I consider myself a fussy eater."

Just then, we were approached by Bill and Riley.

"Do you ladies mind if we join you?" Riley asked looking directly at me.

I glanced at Angela before replying. "Feel free," I offered, although Angela's eyes remained firmly on her plate. She looked a little nervous and did not interact with either of the men, even though both tried to bring her into our conversation. I put it down to all three of us being journalists and her being the odd one out.

Bill told me he had managed to get in touch with a couple of his former contacts and was arranging a meeting for us early tomorrow. We needed to meet later so we could decide exactly what we wanted to achieve. I also needed to speak to Angela about how she wanted her story handled. I wondered from what angle she wanted it told.

After our food was done, we said goodbye and I noticed Angela refused to look at Riley. I would have to remember to ask her about that later. I arranged to meet Bill in two hours at the media tent so we could talk shop.

Back inside Angela's tent, she was quiet, very quiet. "You okay, Angela? Was I wrong to say Bill and Riley could sit with us?" I asked genuinely concerned now.

"No, Bella, but Riley Biers is, well...he's a player, Bella. Please be careful round him. He's the same every time a new female comes into camp. It's all just a game to him. I got the same treatment, but no one warned me about him so I got burned."

"Do you like him?" I asked her curious.

"God no, he's pathetic. I'm just ashamed that I fell for his good looks and chat up lines. We were quite the item around here for a while, well, until I was replaced by the next new female to arrive that is. My bad, I was just too naive to realize what his game was and I don't want you to get burned like me."

"Hey, I can assure you, Angela, I'm not interested in Riley Biers. I respect him for all he's achieved in his professional life, but I'm not interested in anything personal. I've got enough going through my head right now with Edward." Great, so much for me keeping him and our situation to myself. _Well done, Swan_.

"Edward?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, Edward Cullen."

"_The_ Edward Cullen, as in Alice's gorgeous brother, famous musician, and if I'm not mistaken, one of your bosses? That Edward Cullen?"

"Mmm, that's right. We had this thing a few years ago. It ended badly; well, he ended it and never told me why. I've been in love with him for years, still am," I said with a sad-sounding laugh. "When he found out I was coming here, he hit the roof and went all Neanderthal on me. He kissed me, all my feelings came flooding back, we argued some more…you get the picture."

"Wow, I think so. So, why are you here and not back in New York talking this through with him? You do want to be with him I take it?"

"I don't know, Angela; I love him, of that I have no doubt." I reached over and pulled the letter out from under my pillow. "I found this in my bag when I was unpacking." I handed it over for her to read.

"Are you sure you want me to read this, Bella? I mean it's kind of private and I don't want to intrude."

"No, it's okay. I think another person's perspective might be a good idea at this point. Keep me from doing something rash, like calling him and declaring my undying love to him."

Angela read the letter quietly and when she moved her hand over her heart, I knew his words had gotten to her, too. Maybe Angela wasn't the right person to give me perspective on this after all.

"He loves you. Oh, Bella, his words are so...he knows he handled your break up all wrong, and it sounds to me like he didn't want to break up at all, but he wanted to protect himself in case you met someone else when he wasn't there. For such a good looking bloke, he doesn't have much confidence in himself does he?"

"He has no idea about his effect on women, Angela. He's completely oblivious. All the models, actresses, and beautiful women he knows, and he really doesn't have a clue. Why would he want me? He could have anyone he wanted."

"Bella, listen to me. This letter is heartfelt and honest. It's you he wants and loves, not someone else. Use your time here to figure out if you're willing to forgive him like he asks. Can I ask you, though, why did you never tell him how you felt? Are you not as guilty in some ways as he is?"

"Yes, I admit that, but I didn't ignore him for four years. It hurt so much and now finding out it was all for nothing, I could just kill him. But seriously, I know how I feel, I just need to work through the rest I suppose and being here will hopefully give me the time and the space I need to do just that. So, Riley Biers really isn't of any interest to me. Can you see that now?"

"I do, and who would pick someone like Riley over Edward, who can write letters like that?" she smiled and handed over my letter so I could place it back under my pillow.

Our heart-to-heart had made the time fly and now I needed to get my work head on and go and meet Bill. I took my notepad where I had jotted down ideas as I had thought about them. I was disappointed to see Riley still sat with Bill when I entered the media tent.

"Bella, pull up a pew," Riley said smiling broadly at me.

"Hi, guys. Bill, are we doing this here? Should we not go somewhere more private?"

"Is that my cue to take a hike?" Riley asked grinning at me. It seemed he had taken the hint that I did not want him around when we were working.

"Thanks, see you later."

"I can guarantee that, lovely lady," he said smoothly, sounding like a right slime-ball as he slowly walked away.

"What was all that about?" Bill asked with his eyebrows raised.

"I don't want him around while we put our story together, Bill; he's ruthless as a freelancer. We need to protect our storylines and sources. At least until we're well on with it, not to mention I don't particularly like him. He's a slime ball and I'm not impressed with his leering and innuendos."

"Fair enough. I've known him for years, we've done some good work together, but I know what you mean about him being a slime ball. I wouldn't trust my daughters with him that's for sure. And I don't want to go getting on Mr. Cullen's wrong side if he finds out I was the one who introduced you to that particular kind of trouble."

"Which Mr. Cullen?" My mind raced at the thought of Edward keeping tabs on me. "Have you being asked to keep tabs on me while we're here?" I asked, my anger rising now. If Edward had interfered in my assignment, I would kill him, of that I had no doubt.

"Emmett may have had a little word in my ear about you being like his baby sister and that he needed you to come back safe for the sake of more than the company."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was Emmett, bless his heart; my big cuddly teddy bear of an adopted big brother. He would be my very favorite person to have as a brother. I smiled recalling fond memories of my years as part of the Cullen family whilst I was growing up. I missed them all; Alice, Emmett, Esme, Carlisle, and then of course there was Edward. Edward...my heart swelled once again with love for the man that right now I wanted to punch, hug, kiss, and make mad passionate love to all at the same time.

Bill and I thrashed out where we wanted the story to go and arrangements were made for tomorrow. In the morning, I would spend a half day shadowing Angela at the free clinic in the city. In the afternoon, Bill and I would meet with one of his contacts. They had agreed to be interviewed and to show us around to some local houses so we could take pictures without putting anyone at risk.

Riley hovered in the background trying to act disinterested, but I was not convinced that he was not earwigging in on our plans. I supposed time would tell. When I got up to leave, he approached me.

"Bella, let me walk back to Dr. Webber's tent with you. It'll give us time to get to know each other a little better."

Not wanting to appear rude, I nodded and walked ahead of him. I did not talk. He did, though.

"So, Bella, tell me about yourself. I can see you don't wear a wedding ring, and seeing as you're here, I hope I'm right to assume you're single?"

Unable to hide the disgust from my voice, I said, "Riley, don't even think about trying anything with me. Let me put you out of your misery right now. Even if I wasn't involved with someone else, you wouldn't be of any interest to me. Am I making myself clear? I do hope so because if you want me to be even blunter, I can."

He laughed before replying, "Oh, I do love a challenge, Bella! I thought you would have learned that about me already." He stepped in front of me and looked down at me intently, making me shudder in repulsion at his words. "You'll soon change your mind after a couple of weeks in this godforsaken place. You'll be the one seeking out my company. Then we'll see how uninterested you are."

He winked at me smirking before turning on his heel and walked back the way we had come. I stood there staring incredulously at his back, thoroughly irked at the man's patronizing arrogance and wondering how any woman could possibly find him appealing, good looks be damned. I knew it would be a snowy afternoon in the Arabian Desert before I would ever be interested in the likes of that pompous prat!

**Until next time.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Set Fire to the Rain**

I continue to be humbled by all your reviews. Thank you. It's great for an author to know people are invested in their work.

**Thanks as usual to Dollybigmomma, beta extraordinaire. You rock, girl.**

Stephenie Meyer owns all that is the wonderful Twilight.

**Chapter 14**

I didn't sleep very well. I suppose I didn't really expect to with Edward's words going round and round in my head. He loved me, always had. He was scared I'd reject him and he was, if nothing else, a proud Cullen man. How could he even think I would reject him? His words told me he knew that I, too, loved our weekends and when I did something really special, he, like me, knew it meant even more. Angela was right, too, though. I was a coward, too, and I had never mentioned the 'L' word. I could remember having to bite my tongue so many times in the throes of passion, when all I wanted to do was scream out the words 'I love you, Edward' as I came undone.

Tossing and turning most of the night on the small narrow bed left me aching, tired, and thoroughly pissed off when I finally woke up the next morning.

"You had a restless night didn't you?" Angela mentioned as she darted about the tent space getting ready for the day. It looked like she had already showered because her hair was still wet. "Do you not sleep well in strange places or was it something else entirely that was on your mind?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows. She reminded me of Emmett, he always did that when he thought he was being funny. God, I missed him, my cuddly adopted big brother. I was sure she already knew my answer.

"A bit of both I suspect," I replied with a half laugh.

Heading out back to the shower tent, I passed a couple of other females who I did not know. They, like me, simply nodded their heads and smiled. The shower felt wonderful against my aching bones. I stayed in there probably a lot longer than I should have done given the reminders everywhere of not wasting water.

Dressed and feeling more like my normal self, I headed back into the tent. Angela was on her laptop typing away. She looked up as I entered.

"So, you ready for your baptism by fire then?"

"Will it really be that bad? Should I be worried?"

"Nah, it'll be fine, actually. They've gotten used to me being around now, and they know we're here to help. We have medical equipment they could never access and drugs they need desperately. The locals know what's needed, it's only the extremists, members of the bloody Taliban, that cause us concern. The main problem, Bella, is that you just don't know if anyone coming through the clinics door is Taliban. We'll be protected, though, so don't worry."

We headed out in an armed truck a few minutes later. Bill tagged along in the unlikely event that someone would agree to be photographed. He and I chatted about our plans for later. He seemed quite excited about reconnecting with some of his previous contacts.

The clinic was in the center of the city. The area I would describe as being like Beirut; dilapidated building, loads of rubble; streets decimated by war. Locals hurried about their business, all the women I noted wore the delightful burkhas.

Our guard ushered us into the clinic where already a queue was waiting expectantly. An interpreter was already telling the gathering crowd that the new people present were journalists and looking for people to volunteer their stories.

The clinic opened for business and Angela was kept busy with a steady flow of ailments and injuries. No one came to talk to me and they seemed to give Bill a wide berth, too. I supposed it would take time to build up their trust. I tried not to be too disheartened for the first day.

We headed back for lunch and I cringed when we entered the canteen as Riley made his way over to us.

"Ladies, Bill, good morning I hope?" his eyes undressed me as he spoke.

Cringing inwardly, I replied, "Hello, Riley. Yes it was productive, thank you." There was no way I was going to let him know we had drawn a blank. It was early days and I refused to be concerned just yet.

He sat down and talked casually to Bill. Bill seemed to pick up the feeling that neither Angela nor I wanted him around. When we'd finished eating, Angela and I left and headed back to our tent. I checked my phone; nothing, no messages, no missed calls. I booted up my laptop and checked my emails.

My eyes glanced over the list of emails waiting to be read. I was looking for one name in particular, but there was nothing there, just a couple from Emmett, James, and Alice. I opened them one by one and read the contents; nothing urgent, just keeping me up to date with office politics. Alice's was a typical best friend email. She told me all about her days and how much she missed being able to talk to me when she wanted to. She ranted and raved over something new in the fashion world and I had to smile knowing she knew I was not interested in fashion one iota. She did not mention Edward, nor did Emmett.

I sent her a quick reply, letting her know I was okay and busy. Glancing at my watch, I knew I had to leave so that Bill and I could head out to meet with his contact.

Changing into a burkha, I grimaced at the sight now standing in front of the mirror. The garment was heavy and thick, and already I was too warm and itchy. My sturdy walking boots peeped out from under the gross garment.

Bill's contact was a local man. He was young, maybe late teens or early twenties at the most. He looked older, though, his face ravaged with pain and tension. He spoke like a youth, but his face and eyes especially told a different story. I sat and listened quietly as Bill told him what we hoped to achieve. He seemed keen for their story to be heard. He told Bill he knew people who would be willing to come forward and talk to us as long as they weren't identified. We both agreed wholeheartedly. He told us he would be in touch.

Driving back to the base, I was excited for our progress and it was only day one.

"How long before we hear anything?" I asked casually.

"God only knows, so we'll have to be patient. These things take time to come together. It'll happen, Bella. I trust Yusef. He's a good kid and just wants a better life for himself and his family. He's had it hard. I'm sure you can tell that from his looks."

"Poor kid, he's so young when you talk to him, but he looks so old. How old is he?"

"Let me think. I'd say he's coming on nineteen now. He was about fourteen when I first met him. He was begging on the street. I gave him some food and he followed me around for days. God, it seems like only a few months ago, but it's pushing five years now. Things were terrible here then. The people had nothing, I know they don't have much now, but believe me, it was a hundred times worse then."

"See, this is the story I want to tell, Bill, let people know that there has been progress. I know it's only small, but if we can show it and hear from people like Yusef, then it'll be a good story worth writing."

We parted after exiting the armed jeep and agree to meet for dinner later. I asked him not to bring Riley along. He laughed and agreed.

Angela was nowhere to be seen around the camp. I booted up my laptop and set about reading all my emails. Alice wanted to arrange a talk session via webcam. Yeah, not looking forward to that, but I did promise we'd do that or Skype. Emmett wanted to know my progress so I emailed him about our meeting with Yusef and told him I would keep him posted.

I heard a verbal knock and my heart sank as I recognized the voice as Riley. I considered not replying, hoping maybe he would go away. The flap was not closed up properly, though, so I guessed he would know someone was inside.

"I'm a bit busy, Riley. Can you come back later or I'll see you at the media tent?" I shouted hoping he would take the hint.

No such luck. The tent flap opened a moment later and he walked in. As I looked at him, I could see his face was smug and I really wanted to slap him.

"Riley, I did say I was busy." I closed my laptop so he could not see my email.

"Sorry, Bella, I just wanted to talk. I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot and I'd like to make amends."

"Look, Riley, I respect you and your work, but I'm not interested in 'getting to know you' at all. I really don't know how to make myself any clearer. Would you prefer that I tell you to 'fuck off, creep'? Oh, I just did, didn't I?"

He laughed and that was not really the reaction I was hoping for. Even my rude fuck off wasn't enough to put him off.

"Bella, Bella, Bella, you'll soon learn that I'm the man you need to be close to around here. I'm the one with all the contacts that can make or break your little story. I know Bill has a network of contacts, but he needs time to reconnect. I have those sources already at hand. If you scratch my back, I'll more than scratch that pretty little back of yours."

I felt sick. He was even more of a creep than I expected.

"No, thank you. Bill and I will make our own connections and I'll thank you to leave your innuendos at the door. Now, please leave because I really don't want to have to call in a guard, but I will if I have to. And by the way, I'm in contact with Emmett Cullen all the time. Did you know he's my adopted big brother? No? Well, see, he's really protective of me being my big brother an all, and then there's the fact that I'm in love with his brother, Edward, too. Now I know he won't be happy if I contact him and tell him how pushy you've been. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how much those two could hurt your reputation for future articles."

My words sank in and he turned and walked out. I breathed a sigh of relief. I hoped my hint that I was in a relationship with Edward did not come back to haunt me. I mean, I didn't say anything that wasn't true. I did love Edward and going by his reaction to me coming here, he would react just as badly if he found out someone was hitting on me and those advances were not wanted.

Thinking about Edward made me miss him more and more. I opened my laptop again and completed my message to Emmett. With my fingers itching to send Edward a message, too, I started to write again.

**Hey, Edward,**

**I wanted to let you know that I got your letter. This time apart I think will be good for us on the back of our recent declarations. I'm of course assuming you managed to lip read what I said at the airport?**

**It seems to me like our date when I return will be full of conversation long overdue by both of us.**

**I miss you so fucking much. I hate myself for admitting that by the way.**

**I've settled here well enough, although it's nothing like home. Bill and I met up with one of his contacts today so I'm hopeful of progress soon.**

**Did you know I can stay here for three months on a work visa? Just kidding. Well, yes, I can, but I won't, promise.**

**I'm going to talk to Alice via webcam. Will you be around, too? I don't know if I want to see you, though. Well, I do, of course I do, but I'm scared it'll not be enough. I cannot believe how much I miss seeing you after four years of scowls and being ignored. I think I'm due some quality smiles and laughter. As well a few of those toe-curling kisses you hand out occasionally.**

My fingers glanced over the keys as I reread my words. It was too much. I realized I could not send it. It gave him free rein to walk all over me and my heart and I would not allow that to happen again. So, as much as I wanted to contact him, I didn't. I pressed delete before I could change my mind.

I watched with tears in my eyes as the words before me disappeared, leaving me missing him more than ever.


	15. Chapter 15

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Okay, so I need to apologize for the lack of updating. Sorry, been busy. Had a works-do thing which took me away from home all last week. Back now and hope to get back on track.**

**So once again I thank all who take the time to read and review. Your continued support means the world and I sincerely thank you.**

**Huge thanks go to Dollybigmomma who once again has waved her magic over my drivel. Your words of encouragement and quick fire responses blow me away.**

**BTW, Stephenie Meyer owns all that is Twilight. I do, however, own tickets to the midnight showing of BD overnight 17/18 November. Yippee! Can't wait.**

**On we go then...enjoy.**

**Chapter 15**

Days soon turned into a full week and while Bill assured me we were making progress, I myself saw nothing of it. Angela, too, assured me that things would take time. The locals were an untrusting lot given so many bad things having been done to them in the past. Angela's flippant, "Bella, it's going to take more than you wearing a burkha to get them to trust you," came immediately to mind.

I continued to fret over my decision not to email Edward. Sleepless night after sleepless night followed my deleting of the email. I needed to acknowledge his letter, but I could not decide how best to do it. I needed to let him know I had received it okay and that I had read it all. I probably shouldn't tell him that I had now read it like five hundred times and slept, or rather not slept, with it under my pillow. I resolved to ask Alice what she thought I should do. I mean she knew us both.

Thankfully, Riley had kept his distance since I had given him a clear warning. He scurried away from me in the media tent and no longer joined Bill, Angela, and I when we ate. It did creep me out a bit, though, when I often caught him staring at me. Scowling would likely a better word. He was doing himself no favors in trying to get me onside.

I was a little excited today I suppose, although I was also filled with trepidation and a little dread. I had a webcam conversation booked with Alice for later this evening. Jesus, I had to go through heaven and earth to get it agreed. Being a journalist, I automatically assumed we were still in touch with the real world. Duh! Nope, everything had to be agreed formally, a written request submitted, and an interview conducted with the officer in command of the base.

That part alone scared me to death. He was official-looking and questioned me for ages about why I needed to speak to someone when it wasn't an emergency. How the fuck did you tell someone who lived by strict rules that I just wanted to talk to my best friend and quietly hoped that her brother, who I just happened to be in love with, would be there, too.

I couldn't believe the guy had made me wait three days before finally granting me a maximum of thirty minutes. Thirty fucking minutes! I'd be lucky to get a word in edgewise with Alice in such a short space of time. She could talk about her daily wardrobe for longer than that. I decided I would tell her by email of our time restraints so at least she was would be prepared.

Before my date, I had a trip to the clinic to look forward to. Today was antenatal day, expectant mums of all ages descended on Angela's free clinic to get their only checkups as well as a free supply of vitamins and baby goods. Stuff like nappies, feeding bottles, baby shampoo, and the like. Pampers went down a treat, some of these women had obviously never seen a disposable nappy before. Our interpreter told us over coffee that traditions here were ancient. Rags were used as nappies and washed out over and over again. There were no sterilizing tablets or equipment here, either. How babies survived I had no idea. Angela confirmed my worst fear that many didn't.

The queue was long already when we arrived. I had my arms full of goodie bags which soon won me cautious friends. I handed out the bags as well as bottled water and packs of vitamins. The women did their best to make themselves understood and I knew from their shy smiles they were grateful. Some of the women clammed up when a really young woman came into the waiting room. She smiled shyly and said hello in broken English. Immediately spotting a potential opportunity, I walked over to greet her.

"Hi, I'm Bella, a friend of Dr. Angela's from back in the U.S. Here, let me give you some free baby things." I walked back to the large boxes full of nappies, bottles, and stuff. Grabbing an armful of things, I walked back towards the young woman. "So, you speak a little English, yes?" I asked hoping she would give me a little bit of something.

"Little bit, yes," she said shyly from behind her niqab.

"What's your name?"

With eyes darting from side to side, looking I assumed for one of the other women to shout her down, she whispered, "Fatima."

"Well, Fatima, I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance. When's your baby due?" I asked showing enthusiasm for her current state.

"Baby come in three weeks I think. If it alright."

"With Dr. Angela looking out for you all, you'll all be just fine, your babies, too. She's a very good doctor and has the best medicines available as well as all the equipment she needs," I spoke loudly, addressing all the women left in the waiting room.

Our interpreter pulled me to one side and said quietly, "Careful, Bella, Fatima's an outcast here, her baby is illegitimate. Here, women like Fatima are shunned from the rest of society. The other women may not take kindly to you befriending her, even though she speaks English."

"Are they really so cruel and behind the times? What has she done wrong other than have a baby out of wedlock?"

"She's made her baby with another's husband. Affairs are not acceptable under Islamic law. Just a couple of years ago, she would have been killed, probably stoned to death."

"What about the married man? Where is his culpability? Is he allowed to live as if nothing's happened?

"Bella, our society has always favored men. In recent years, we've made great strides in women being able to have careers; this is why I'm able to be here with you and Angela today. However, affairs are still forbidden and the woman is always seen as the guilty party. We may have made some progress, but this is something I fear will not change, ever.

Mindful of her words, I walked back to where Fatima was sat. I sat down next to her and offered her a cool drink of water.

"It okay, lady, for you to not sit. Thank you for baby things. I wait for doctor now."

"Fatima, I'll sit where I choose and talk to who I want to. I do respect your religion, but I do not practice Islam and therefore I'm not interested in what you've done. My only interest is in you and your baby's welfare. I'm a reporter back in New York. I'm here to write a story about life for local people since the war. Would you be willing to talk to me? I could keep your identity a secret, although if we talked about your pregnancy and being shunned, people I guess would know it was you."

"I talk not about me and my baby. I okay to talk about Kabul and Taliban. How war has taken but given, too."

Angela called Fatima in just then so our talk was cut short. I had a really good feeling about making some progress and got up to go find Bill.

He was stood talking to locals just outside the small clinic. He gestured me over when he saw me come outside.

"Bella, come say hello to Faruk and Ahmed, two of my previous contacts. They might be willing to talk to you, although they do not like to give a woman so much respect. I've told them in the west we do things differently."

"Hello, gentlemen, I'm Bella Swan, pleased to meet you both."

Bill translated for me and I was impressed at his swift dialogue in an all too unfamiliar and complex tongue.

Inside the clinic, I was slightly frustrated to see that Angela had finished her work for the day and Fatima had gone. No one claimed to know where she went.

Back at base, I set about making notes of my progress today. Fatima was willing to talk to me; okay, she was not willing to talk about her personal experiences, but she was happy to talk and that in my book was real progress.

Over lunch, Bill and I compared notes. We decided it might be better if he took a small Dictaphone along to his meetings with Faruk and Ahmed in the future. They were clearly uncomfortable around me, so talking to Bill was the better option. I was going to pursue Fatima. Angela must have had her details. I seriously doubted she would hand her address over to me willingly, but I could ask.

The afternoon was spent typing up notes and trying to get Angela to divulge Fatima's address so I could pay her a visit. I wasn't getting anywhere fast.

The time for my contact with Alice was approaching. With the time difference being a massive twelve hours, one of us was going to be put out. I decided it ought to be me this time. We had emailed and arranged for our talk to be at ten o'clock at night my time so I could go straight to bed after. Alice would be at the office, but it couldn't be helped. I paced nervously as I waited for the time to come round.

A young technician came to the tent and said I could log on. Nervously, I switched on the laptop and waited for the connection. I think I heard her squeal before I saw her. She didn't look any different. A little paler maybe, but it could have been the crap quality of picture I was seeing.

"Hi, Alice, missing me I take it?" I asked laughing at her continued squeals.

"Swan, I miss you sooooo much, you must promise me to never go so far away from me ever again. Are you positive we only have half an hour?"

"Yes, Alice, I'm sure and I miss you, too. I miss everyone from back home. Have you been in touch with my dad like you promised? How is he?"

"I spoke to him just yesterday, Bella, he's just fine. Missing you like we all are, but he's doing okay, I promise. So, what gives in a land far far away? Do you like it? How is your story coming along? Come on, Swan, we don't have all day."

I was a little shocked that she didn't want to talk about her. That was a new one on me for sure.

"Well, it's dusty and hot most of the time, then the temperature goes down and its freezing. Strange really. Things are pretty basic here, but it's okay. Angela's great, very accommodating and helpful. Bill is reconnecting with all his old pals, too, so we're making some progress, albeit slow. So what am I missing over in New York? How is everyone at work?"

"Do you mean Edward?"

Blushing furiously at being caught out, I answered truthfully.

"Well, yes, amongst others of course."

"He misses you, so he's pretty miserable; actually, even more miserable than ever before. I think he was wondering if you got his letter. I mean, I told him I put it in there so I know you've had it, right?"

"Yeah, I got it. I was going to ask you about that, Alice. How should I respond to it? I wrote an email a few nights ago that I deleted, it was too...well, you know what I mean. I want to acknowledge it, of course I do, but I don't want to go overboard. He needs to know that saying he loves me is not enough. He hurt me badly and whilst I now know he was hurting, too, we could have saved ourselves a whole lot of time and effort if we'd talked a long time ago. We'll talk when I get back. So, should I send him a quick email just to say hi?"

"Bella, I can't tell you what to do. I love you like a sister and hate that my idiot brother has hurt you for the last four years. He's stubborn and proud. He wanted to be here today to see you for himself. I think he's convinced you've been kidnapped already, even though Emmett has kept him up to date with your emails. Maybe I could pass on your hello."

"No, Alice, I don't want you involved; he's your brother and I will not ask you to take sides. No, I'll send him a short message just so he knows I got his letter and that I'm alive."

I promised to do it straight after our call ended before I went to bed. The half hour ended far too quickly and tears were pouring down both our cheeks when we said goodbye.

Keeping my laptop on, I pulled up Edward's email address at work. He was at the office now Alice told me so I knew he would get the email sooner than if I sent it to his personal email address.

**Edward,**

**I got your letter. We need to talk when I get back like we planned. I talked to Alice tonight. It was good to see her face. Things here are okay and I'm making progress finally on my story. It will probably be the full six weeks instead of four like I'd hoped. Sorry, these things take time to develop. I do miss you, though, and look forward to seeing and talking to you when I get back.**

**Bye for now.**

**Love, Bella.**

Over and over I read the short message before deciding to press send. I thought it was to the point but friendly and gave him hope. I said I missed him because I did, I just did not tell him how much.

I left the laptop switched on while I got myself ready for bed. Angela was on call tonight so she would be staying in the doctor's on-call tent next to the hospital. Closing up the flap for the night, I shuddered as I saw Riley standing close by looking straight at me. Zipping up, I headed inside and grabbed my mobile to send Bill a quick text asking him to watch out for Riley. His response was swift. He was already aware of his lingering and had asked a duty soldier to keep an eye on my tent. I thanked him and climbed into the narrow bed.

An envelope flashed in front of me. It meant I had new mail, nothing new there, especially as it was office hours back home. I knew somehow it would not be work related, though. With a deep breath, I clicked to open it.

**Bella,**

**Thank god you're alive and still prepared to talk to me after reading the contents of my letter. I'm so sorry I had to tell you like that. I just needed you to know with you being so far away from me. I miss you, too, every minute of every day. Sorry, too much I know, but I just miss you. **

**Look after yourself and my heart because it's out there with you. Six full weeks? Are you sure? I remain hopeful you will return sooner.**

**Love always**

**Edward.**

A smile crossed my face at his bold words. So his heart was here with me was it? I guess I could live with that. In fact, it gave me a bit more comfort. I realized that I could be in touch with him by email while I was here without relinquishing any of my hard-earned self-respect.

I went to bed happy and almost content, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

How long I was asleep I didn't know, but what woke me was the zipper on our tent being opened. My eyes struggled to see in the pitch black of the night. A dark shadow formed on the inside of the tent flap and seemed to hesitate. I wondered if that was because they were unfamiliar with the tent's layout. As the shadow closed in on my bed, I closed my eyes and screamed.

**Cliffie! Okay, kill me now. LOL! Any thoughts on who it is?**

**So, they finally emailed. Not too OTT I thought, probably just about right. **

**Until next time...**


	16. Chapter 16

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Stephenie Meyer owns all that is Twilight.**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta extraordinaire. Thank you so much for your patience and guidance. This story would not be what it is without you.**

**Thank you for every review, I love that you're all enjoying this story.**

**Chapter 16**

I closed my eyes and prayed as the silent figure stumbled quietly closer and closer. It wasn't until I heard a low 'fuck' that I realized it was only Angela. I immediately sat up in bed and flicked on the bedside lamp.

"You scared the fuck out of me, Ange. I thought it might have been Riley. Jesus, I think I just pushed up my hair graying and getting wrinkles by ten years." I threw myself back down onto the pillow relieved but annoyed at the same time.

"Sorry, Bella, the dark had me really disoriented and I'm used to having this place to myself. I guess I was trying too hard not to wake you. Why would you think it was Riley? He hasn't been bothering you has he?"

"Well, we had a bit of a run in the other day. He wanted to offer his 'services' and I declined not so politely. He's been hanging round staring. The guy gives me the creeps big time. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. I really don't know what you saw in him, Ange; you can do so much better than that."

A swift glance at the clock told me it was fast approaching three o'clock, just three and a half more hours until my alarm went off and I would need to get up and be ready for the day. I snuggled back down into the little bed and closed my eyes. Pictures of a smiling Edward made me sigh and I drifted off back to a peaceful sleep.

Fatima did not come to the free clinic again that week and I was bitterly disappointed. Angela refused to even discuss disclosing her address to me. I grumbled loudly but fully understand her position. Bill, too, had little more luck. His contacts shied away from being recorded so we were back to square one.

Over lunch and back in the media tent, we hashed over what our next steps were going to be. Angela agreed to help and talk to her patients about what we were hoping to achieve. We needed to sell it as a positive.

Back on the base, I took time to interview soldiers in the hospital, talking about their experiences, their injuries, their hopes, and their fears. The one overriding thing about all the men and women I spoke to was their pride in what they did and what they were achieving for the people of Afghanistan. I took time to write it up, going over and over different angles before emailing it back to Emmett and James to have a look at.

We had decided before I left New York that I would email all I had written and put the story together upon my return. The feedback I had received on my pieces so far had overall been positive. James was a little worried about how we would put it all together, but I would worry about that when I got back.

Time seemed to go by here in a flash. We were two weeks in and nowhere near to getting close to any of the locals. I had voiced my opinion that Riley had put his oar in there. I couldn't help but feel he was a threat on more than one level. Bill was baffled by his contacts' lack of response. Yusef had proved our most valuable source of information to date, but he was young and I doubted if our readers would trust a teenager as well as believe a word he told us. It was all we had so far, though, so I worked with what I had.

The next morning, day fifteen, Bill came running into the canteen in a hurry. "Bella, come on and hurry up eating, we've got a hot tip! One of my contacts has been in touch wanting a meet. He's promised a full and frank discussion providing we can protect his anonymity. How long before you can be ready?"

"Calm down a bit, Bill. If you're serious, I can be ready to go in say half an hour?"

"Of course I'm serious, Bella. Get a wriggle on."

I finished my breakfast as quickly as I could and hurried back to my tent to put on my favorite clothes. Not. I was ready well within the half hour and stood just outside the tent waiting for Bill to join me. He joined me a few moments later armed with his camera and various other bags.

"How long will we be gone? Have you packed the kitchen sink in there?" I laughed as we walked towards an armed jeep. "Uh, Bill, where is our guard?" I asked sounding more than a little concerned.

"This is going to be just us. Our contact won't show if we turn up with an armed guard. I know this place, Bella, I know where the meet is and we'll be okay providing that you're dressed correctly and let me lead the conversation. It might be better if you take notes quietly. I have the list of questions we discussed so let's go and make some real progress."

My head was screaming at me not to go; it sounded dangerous, but my heart longed to get a real story and I knew opportunities like this would not come along often in the time we had left. Without another thought, I climbed into the passenger seat. The journey seemed to take forever, the terrain harsh and cruel. We passed by hoards of locals who all looked sad and overworked. Women toiled endlessly at the side of the road, begging or sweeping and cleaning. I felt like I had been transported back a hundred years. It made me feel so sad.

After what seems liked like hours, we arrived at what looked like a small village. A small cluster of shacks come mud huts seemed to form a circle around what appeared to be, for the want of a better description, the main square. We parked the jeep and Bill got out to meet his contact. I stayed put until I was told I could join them.

Bill returned a few minutes later and invited me to join him. He led me slowly into one of the shacks. On the way in, he told me to stay quiet and take his lead. We agreed that he would lead the interview with me taking notes. I wasn't happy about it, but I had to acknowledge that these people were decades behind western civilization in letting women take control. For a good story, I was willing to bite my tongue and take notes. It would be my words that were written in the end anyway.

Four men sat on the ground, what looked like a tea urn sat in the middle of them. Small cups were being passed around. We took our seats on the floor, making the circle complete. Bill introduced us and thanked them for taking the time to talk to us. He readily told them we would forgo photos in order to get an open honest opinion from them.

They agreed reluctantly to let Bill take photos of the village as long as no names were mentioned and no distinguishing facts showed up on film. I nodded my head, pleased they were being so accommodating. The interview started and the men, two of whom were elderly, had lots of stories to tell. They remembered how Afghanistan used to be before the Taliban. They remembered communities where farming was the driving force. Communities helped each other, somewhere where their religion brought people together instead of driving them apart.

Tears poured down my face when Bill translated one of the men's memories of how his sister had been killed. She was a bright girl who wanted to get on in life. She made the mistake of challenging what then was the start of the Taliban's rein. The then leader, some bloke who had assumed the role by all accounts, decided she was evil and had her thrown into jail. She disappeared and her body was later found on the outskirts of the small village. She had been savagely raped, abused, and beaten to death. I felt sick when he finished his story. They seemed to want to embrace new beginnings. They wanted to be self-sufficient, encourage their children into bigger things. The younger generation was even happy to embrace women being educated and taking on jobs in a man's world.

One of the men, a younger one, well, younger compared to the older ones present, caught my attention. Thinking of Yusef and how he had looked, I assumed that the young man was probably younger than I thought. He seemed nervous and spoke very little. I began to wonder why he had bothered coming along.

My sixth sense appeared to kick in and all of a sudden I was nervous, very nervous. The young man seemed to pick up on my agitation and he in turn became more and more nervous. Bill's eyes met mine and I tried with all I was to let him know we needed to leave. Now.

Bill, bless him, wound things up nicely, thanking the elders profusely for their time and words. Outside, he took time to walk the village with one of the men and took pictures once he had shown the man what was in the viewing screen. When he was satisfied, we packed up and said our goodbyes.

I felt a little better and a whole lot safer once I was in the jeep. Bill got in and went to start it up. Nothing. Over and over he tried to start the jeep, but nothing happened. I felt sick a sense of dread deep in the pit of my stomach. Bill looked at me and took my hand in his and squeezed it tight.

"I'm sure it's nothing, love, sand in the spark plugs or something like that. I'll just get out and have a quick look."

He got out of the jeep and raised the bonnet. The four men we'd talked to joined him. They seemed to be helping, or at the very least making suggestions. I did notice, however, that the man I had been concerned about appeared to be hovering about on the periphery.

Time seemed to stand still. How long Bill was outside I had no idea. All of a sudden, all hell broke loose and the jeep was surrounded by angry-looking men all carrying automatic rifles and shouting loudly. They were obviously Taliban. We were in so much trouble and I had been so stupid and not left details of what we were doing or where we were going. I had no idea how long it would be before someone missed us, how long before Angela realized she had not seen me.

The door of the jeep was thrown open and I was shouted at in their native tongue. I assumed they wanted me out. As I moved slowly, I was pulled out and thrown to the ground. Bill, bless him, shouted back at them and rushed to my side.

"Bella, are you okay? Just do as I say and hopefully we'll get out of this alive. It looks like someone has been talking out of turn about our being here."

He helped me up and tucked me under his arm. My thoughts immediately drifted to Edward. Would I ever get the chance to tell him how much I loved him? Was my pride, like his, going to ruin our future together? This was why he did not want to me to come here, this was the reason he wanted to protect me.

"Bill, did you tell anyone back at the base where we were going? Please tell me you did."

"Sorry, Bella, covert operation and all that. My contact told me it had to be hush-hush. I should have known something was up when they insisted on that. My thirst for a story won over on my ingrained sense of realism. I'm really sorry, Bella, I let you down. At my age, with my experience, I really should have known better. Now just stay calm. I know that's easier said than done, but don't do anything to aggravate them further. Okay?"

"I'll try, but you know what I'm like, Bill. I don't like to be pushed around. I'll really try to bite my tongue." I squeezed his hand which was still in mine.

I didn't want him to know how petrified I really was. We were pushed and shoved to the back of the jeep where one of the men pulled a wire out of his pocket and they all laughed. They obviously liked the fact that they had hoodwinked us and sabotaged the jeep.

They herded us like cattle into an old battered truck, but first they tied us up. Our hands were bound tightly behind our backs and hop sacks were tugged over our heads. Soon, the blackness took over. I wanted to cry, my knees were quite literally shaking. No, not shaking, jumping. I didn't know how to stop them.

I knew Bill was nearby; I could feel his breathing.

"Bill, are you okay?" I whispered, "I'm here, don't worry, I'm here and I'm okay. They tied me up and put a sack over my head, too."

"Bella, this is really dangerous, they could be taking us anywhere. It could be days before anyone realizes we haven't been back to camp."

"I know, but we'll just have to deal with things as they arise. No point in freaking out any more than we are already. So what do you say to just sitting here quietly and waiting to see what happens? Think about those lovely girls of yours back home."

Wasn't I being the smart one, I wondered silently if I could practice what I preached. I seriously doubted it. All I really wanted was to be in Edward's arms back in Forks. Walking along First Beach hand in hand, stopping to kiss, making love by a beach fire; just being us, two young people in love. I had to stop thinking about him or I would cry, and once I started, I seriously doubted that I could stop.

The truck ground to a halt sometime later. We were pulled out of the back and herded once again into what I assumed was another shack of sorts. The hop sacks were removed from our heads and we were pushed to the floor. The room was sparsely furnished; a narrow cot of sorts, a chair, and little else. I suppose we should be grateful we had a roof over our heads and were not in a cave somewhere in the mountains. There were no windows and the walls were bare. It would be cold at night and the cot had no blankets.

Bill moved to my side and said quietly, "At least we're together, Bella. I'd hate to be parted from you. I don't want you on your own with them, love. I'll do what I can to protect you. You heard in the meeting what they do to women here. I'll not let that happen to you. I promised Emmett I'd look after you."

"It's fine, Bill. I know you'll look out for me if you're able. Thank you for being here. Emmett also asked you to come because you're a great photographer, not just to look after me. He would have sent a bodyguard if that was all I needed. We're in this together now until it ends one way or another."

We curled up on the cot together, both for comfort and warmth. I must have fallen asleep because it was dark when I woke up and Bill was no longer wrapped around me. Once my eyes refocused, I saw him sat in the small chair looking pensive.

"Hey, did you sleep okay, love?"

"Yeah, I guess I did under the circumstances. So what are you up to?"

"Bella, you need to prepare for something I found out whilst you were asleep. It's not good and I'm ashamed to say I feel somewhat responsible."

"Just tell me. Hopefully, it's not as bad as you think. I mean being kidnapped and held here miles from anywhere is bad enough. Please, just tell me."

He didn't get the chance as the small door was flung open and two men walked in.

"Well, isn't this cozy?" a familiar voice said.

Riley Biers walked slowly forward with a sickening grin all over his face. I saw red and flew at him.

"Take us back to the base now, you sick bastard, or you'll die, I'll make sure of it!" My hands beat at his pathetic chest and I got a great right hook in on his cheekbone. It hurt like hell, but it made me feel great. "Did you not hear about my contacts in the industry when I knocked you back the other week? The Cullen's are going to enjoy taking you down and I'll enjoy standing back and watching it. If you think dealing with Emmett will be bad, believe me, it'll be nothing on what Edward will do to you. Do you know Edward, Riley? He's the love of my life and he'll kill you with his bare hands for doing this to me!"

Everything went black when his fist connected with my jaw.

**So, do you want to kill me? Please don't or you'll never find out what's going to happen!**

**Until next time...**

**Let me know what you think. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Awesome responses to the last couple of chapters. Thank you all so much. I love how invested in this story you all are. The number of people reading continues to grow so to anyone telling their friends, thank you!**

**Dollybigmomma is my wicked beta. Power to you, girl!**

**So, poor Bella is punched by the delightful Riley. Let's see what happens next…**

**Stephenie Meyer owns all that is Twilight.**

**Chapter 17**

I came round to find myself wrapped in Bill's comforting arms. He was cursing and swearing at Riley who was stood by the door looking bored. My chin hurt like hell. No one had ever punched me before. As a girl, I had avoided confrontation of any kind. Don't get me wrong; I had a wicked verbal assault I could use when and if necessary, but violence in my book was not usually called for. There were of course exceptions to that rule.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Bill asked sounding really upset.

"Hmm, I think so, Bill. Help me up so I can knock some fucking sense into that dumb twat over there by the door." I was determined to get a few more hits in before I gave up. My sense of peace was gone in our present predicament.

"Enough for now, love. We'll get a chance another time to sort him out," Bill whispered in my ear.

"I'm still stood here," Riley said indignantly.

Bill helped me to my feet and I brushed myself down a little, wanting to keep my hands busy so I really didn't go in for the kill. I could not help my lips curling upward in a snarling manner. Right now I wanted to kill Riley Biers. Rip him limb from limb. I suddenly realized that knowing Riley was behind our kidnapping left me no longer nearly as scared as I had been when I thought it had been the Taliban. Sure, he'd had a couple of locals help him out, but I was confident that they were not as hard-core as the soldiers of the Taliban.

"Riley, I suggest you fuck off away from us now. Bella here is pretty mad and so am I. I'll not stop her if she goes for you again, and right now I want to rip your slimy head off your shoulders myself. This is beyond low, Biers, and I'm still trying to comprehend how someone who I've known for a number of years as a decent man could pull a stunt like this. You do realize you'll never work in the U.S. again. No one will buy anything connected to you when the Cullen's are finished with you. Your days as a respected journalist are well and truly over," Bill growled shaking his head.

"Yadda, yadda, yadda. I think you'll find it's me in the driver's seat here, Bill, my old pal. I'll decide what I do in the future. You see, when you're both found dead at some point, it'll be me that writes the heart-wrenching yet compelling story about your disappearance and murder, and I'll be able to sell it to the highest bidder, no doubt making me a very wealthy and respected man. No one will know of my involvement here, so I'll be home in the U.S. enjoying my fame and fortune with no one the wiser. Hell, I might even win a Pulitzer for this one," he grinned evilly.

"I wouldn't count on it, slime ball. Once Edward realizes I'm missing, he'll be on the next plane over here. Just you wait and see; he won't leave a stone unturned to find me. Angela will tell him what I said about you, how creepy you've been, and the guards will remember being asked to watch my tent against your lurking and leering. He's not daft; he'll soon make the connection."

"Bella, this was all so unnecessary you know. If only you'd been just a little more open to my friendly welcome, none of this would've been necessary. All I wanted was to appreciate you, but now that you've rejected my kindness, I need to let you know you've hurt my feelings and I'm too proud a man to accept that lying down."

"You're not a man, Riley. A real man wouldn't need to resort to kidnapping to get a woman interested in him. You're a pathetic excuse for a man who preys on unsuspecting, inexperienced women who know no better. I almost feel sorry for you you're so pathetic," I spat at him.

He yawned to show me how bored he was with our conversation, but it seemed to do the trick as he and his guards retreated out of the room. I heard the door being locked several times behind them.

I rolled my eyes; like we had anywhere to run to out here in the middle of the nowhere.

Bill inspected my face when we sat down on the small cot.

"Bit of a spitfire aren't you, Ms. Swan? If I wasn't so scared, I would have pissed myself laughing when you went for him. You should've seen his face, Bella, you caught him by surprise and he was obviously in pain when you smacked him around a bit. Remind me to never get on the wrong side of you when we get home."

We both laughed a little sadly at his mention of going home, but I had to stop laughing because it hurt like hell.

"So, Bella, what you said about Edward coming to rescue you, is that true?"

"I'm pretty sure he would. I mean when they realize I'm gone, he'll hit the roof. He didn't want me to come here because of the dangers, but I think he was thinking more along the lines of the Taliban, not some delusional U.S. citizen."

"I didn't think Edward Cullen was involved in current affairs. I thought his remit was entertainment. Didn't I hear somewhere he's a pop-star-come-playboy? I suppose, though, if you're seen as Emmett's sister, then it would stand to reason that Edward, being his brother, would think the same."

"Hmm, but not really, you see, Edward and I are..."

"Ah, I see. Yes, well, I can see how he would be pissed then if you two are together."

"Well, we aren't official. Well, not yet, anyhow. It's a long story, Bill. I'll tell you all about it sometime, but not today. My jaw is killing me and talking seems to make it worse. Can we just go back to sleep, please?"

"Sure, come here, baby girl, and let me help you keep warm."

It seemed funny curled up with someone old enough to be my father, but comforting, too. We needed to huddle together, though, as the night was drawing in and the temperature was dropping by the minute. Tiredness, stress, or exhaustion won over and I once again fell into a broken sleep.

It was still dark when I woke to the sound of the door being opened. I immediately was on my guard and that in turn woke Bill up. One of the locals came in and placed two bottles of water and a plate of food on the chair. He said something in his native tongue and hurried back out of the room.

"What did he say?" I asked Bill getting up slowly.

"It seems like our captors don't like the violence Riley has displayed towards you. They've brought a little food and water and asked that we eat and drink it before Riley returns here from base camp once the sun is up."

I realized that we hadn't eaten in hours. We shared the small plate of food which was edible if nothing else. No sooner had we finished than the door was once again opened and the same man came in to collect the bottle and plate. He ushered us both out and showed us to a small bathroom. Bill went in first while I hovered, waiting my turn. The man looked on, unsure what to do. I smiled at him and nodded my head in thanks. I hoped he understood.

The small bathroom was filthy, ingrained dirt on every surface. I cringed knowing I had to look beyond the dirt. Rinsing my face in the cold water brought me round more, but it did nothing to help me feel clean. I suppose I should have been grateful that I had somewhere to go to the loo. Beggars could not be choosers, or so they said.

Locked back in the room, I immediately returned to the cot while Bill took the chair.

"I wonder how long he intends to keep us here," I said thinking out loud.

"God only knows; if at the end of today you aren't back, surely Dr. Webber will raise the alarm."

"I hope so, but I suppose it depends on whether Riley does anything else to cover his tracks. I mean he could easily say he's seen us heading out. I wouldn't put it past him. I think Edward or Emmett is the more likely to start asking questions. You see, I've been emailing my work back to the office most days. They'll try to contact me if they don't at least get an email for a couple of days, and Edward, well, let's just say he's not very patient and demands an awful lot. He'll insist on a full investigation and I'm sure he'll be here to lead any search."

"So, is it serious between you two?"

"Yes, I think so, he's everything to me. I've had this thing for him forever. You know what it's like, best friend's sibling and all that. We were going to talk properly when I got back. He's emailed to say he misses me and hopes I'm not away for the full six weeks. I'm relying on caveman Edward coming out to play when he doesn't get a reply to his next email, or when Emmett tells him I'm not responding to his emails, either."

"Fingers crossed then, eh, girl? All we have to do is keep you from strangling our host until our rescuers arrive. As much as I'd love for you to kick his butt, Bella, you really need to keep a lid on it; provoking him is only going to make our time here more difficult. Riley thrives on his ego being stroked. Now I'm not asking you to be nice to him or anything like that, just don't go insulting him or puncturing his ego anymore. Our lives may depend on it."

"Okay, Bill, I'll try, but it's just so difficult. I don't conform well I'm afraid. I see bullying like this as a challenge. I'm not scared of Riley Biers; well, only when he's got a gun maybe, but I reckon I could give him a run for his money fist on fist. Emmett taught me well in my early teenage years. It helped keep the boys away being able to take care of myself. I've never had to use my fists before, though. The threat alone usually proved sufficient."

The room didn't get any lighter. The muffled sounds from outside told us that people were coming and going all the time. I wondered how many were guarding us. My watch said 9:16 AM when the locks were disengaged and the door opened once again. A smiling Riley greeted us and I wanted to throw up all over that smirk on his face.

"Good morning, colleagues, I hope you slept well. I've brought you some food and asked my acquaintances to make you tea. I hope this will go some way to prove to you both that it doesn't have to be this way. I'm a nice guy, but you never gave me a chance to show you, Bella," his eyebrows wiggled. It did not remind me of Emmett; there was no comparison.

Cold buttered toast with marmalade filled the hole in our stomachs. The tea when it arrived was hot and sweet, no more could be said.

Neither Bill nor I spoke as Riley hovered nearby. I refused to meet his eyes, knowing I would likely lose my cool and do something I had promised Bill I wouldn't.

"So, Bill, I was thinking maybe when you've been here a few days settled-in like, you could go out for walk with one of my friends and let Bella and me get to know each other a little better."

I nearly choked on my tea and my eyes darted to meet Bill's. A look of sheer anguish crossed his face.

"Well, that would be up to Bella, Riley, and seeing as yesterday she wanted to rip your throat out, I seriously doubt she'll have changed her mind. I think you'd know if she wanted to 'get to know you' a little better."

"Ah, yes, but see, here I'm in charge and what I want is what will happen or there'll be serious consequences. I'm not a pushy man normally, but I do love a good challenge. Now that I've planted that little seed, I'll leave you to mull it over for a while. I'll be back before I head back to base camp later to see if you've given my suggestion any further thought. My associates will feed you and make sure you have sufficient water. Sorry that I can't offer a TV or laptop."

He chuckled to himself as he walked away. I was glad he was amused by his ramblings because I knew for certain that Bill and I weren't.

Neither of us spoke for a while. I stared at my hands, wringing them in my lap. Eventually, Bill relented and asked, "Bella? What's going on in your head, girl? I won't let him hurt you, I promise, although you could probably do more damage than me."

"If he touches me, I'll kill him, and if I don't, then I know Edward will. I will not allow his filthy hands to touch me, Bill. I'll fight him all the way."

"You just need to be careful. We should try to play for some time so that our disappearance is noticed and help arranged. If we can stall him for a few days but not make him too mad, it'll help in the long run. Someone is bound to miss us and have reported it by then. I'll talk to the guy who feeds us and see what I can find out about where we are. I really don't think there'll be any point in running, Bella. We seemed to be traveling for hours in that truck and the village was already a long way away from the base."

"I know, so what do you suggest we do to stall him?"

"Let me think about it."

"Okay, let me know when you come up with a decent plan because I'm out."

Bill paced back and forth as I sat and watched. I was so incredibly bored. I was tired, too, but I was worried that if I slept more now, I would be awake most of the night.

When the door opened again, it was not Riley but the man who had fed us earlier. Once again, he brought us more water and some food, a selection of fruit this time, and I for one could not be more grateful. Being in a room with no light was going to play havoc with our vitamin levels. Fresh fruit would help. Whilst not filling, it quenched my thirst and raised my immediate outlook. We devoured the lot, not that there was much, a couple of oranges, a banana which we shared, a large grapefruit, and several plums. It was better than nothing.

When Riley returned later, we ignored him. I sat on the cot and Bill chose to stand in front of me.

"So, have you given any thought to my proposal, Bill? Fancy a stroll out, say the day after tomorrow?"

"I'd rather walk over hot coals than leave Bella alone here with you."

Riley laughed at Bill's comment, he really did think it would be as easy as getting me alone. In a way, I hoped he did try something; it would be fun to see how he reacted to having his testicles popping out of his ears when I rammed them so far up his body they had nowhere else to vacate.

He leaned against the wall and pulled out a cigarette and lit up. The room immediately filled with tobacco smoke and I started to cough. I had always hated smoking, but seeing this pathetic excuse for a man doing it made my blood boil all the more.

Our ignoring him finally worked and he stormed out, yelling in Pashto or Dari to his men. Bill chuckled a little, knowing exactly what he had said.

When all had gone quiet, I asked him, "So, did we piss him off?"

"You could say that, he hates being ignored as well as not being in control and our ignoring him has him not knowing how best to proceed. It appears his associates have told him they'll not be involved in violence against women. Seems they're tired of such Taliban-style nonsense. He's out on a limb, Bella, and I think if we handle this right, it won't be too long until we're home safely."

Riley didn't come back to torment us for a couple of days. Tariq, our main keeper, kept us supplied in food and water. He even arranged for us to take a shower after we were about four days in. God, we both needed it, too. It was amazing how stinky you could get lying around all day doing nothing, and don't even get me started on the need for clean underwear.

Eventually, Riley did show up. He seemed a little nervous, agitated almost. His mood was foul and he shouted and growled at everyone, not just at me and Bill. Something or someone had gotten to him. I wondered if I dared test him of that subject before he left. No sooner had that thought crossed my mind when Bill said it for me.

"So, Riley, you're looking a bit sheepish, someone asking too many questions about our disappearance? Are the Cullen brothers here yet? Has Dr. Webber voiced her concerns to the military leaders over your behavior? No stone will be left unturned, Riley. Maybe you should consider dropping us off somewhere and disappearing. If, of course, you know what's good for you."

"Shut the fuck up, Bill, you think you know everything. Well, let me tell you, with what's been happening back at the base, your disappearance is the least of their worries."

His words sank in and I immediately wanted to know what he meant.

"What's happened, Riley?"

"So, you'll talk to me when you want information will you, Bella? Well, fancy this; there was an attack. Taliban infiltrated the base, caused quite a bit of damage. People were hurt, badly, and everyone suddenly forgot about the missing media personnel. Pity."

"You bastard! If I thought you were low before, you just proved you're capable of sinking even lower. I'm ashamed to even know you, Riley Biers," I hissed. Riley smiled smugly and strolled out the door. We could hear people talking outside and I saw Bill stiffen, looking positively livid as he listened to what was being discussed.

"Tell me, Bill, what's going on?"

"I'm afraid it's bad, love. It sounds like he arranged the attack on the base to divert attention away from our disappearance. People have been hurt that we know; Dr. Webber and some other members of the media as well were in harm's way when it went down."

"Oh, god, Angela!"

"All hell is breaking loose there, so it looks like we've been forgotten about, Bella."

Tears started to pour down my face. "So, why is he so stirred up then?"

"I really don't know, love, I really don't know."

**So, what has Riley so on edge?**

**Next chapter comes from New York as Emmett realizes Bella has not been in touch for a while and word of the attack hits the news. Let me know what you think by pressing the review button!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Okay, so I thought it was time that we heard from those left behind. Here are points of view from Emmett, James, and of course, the lovely Edward.**

**I'm glad you all seem up for Riley losing his testicles as well as Edward and Emmett turning up to kick some butt. Some men just cannot take a knock back lightly.**

**Thanks to Dollybigmomma for her super quick turnarounds and her magic fingers. **

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. Me, nothing, nada, well, except three DVD's, four books, and tickets to a BD midnight showing. Oh, and a few very nice Rob calendars that keep me sane. (I think)**

**Chapter 18**

_**Back in New York …**_

**Emmett**

The regular emails from Bella let me know that this story was going to be awesome. I was no expert in putting these things together, but I knew Bella and James would be able to fire it off with no trouble at all.

She had taken to emailing me most days, so I was a little bit concerned after that first day when nothing came through. I put it down to her doing other things or being too busy chasing up a lead. By the end of the second day, though, I was nervous, very nervous. I had Edward on my tail asking questions, too, and if he got even a whiff that I was worried, he'd go off on one and there would be no stopping him. He'd gotten an email acknowledging his letter so now he was all loved up and raring to get Bella back so they could sort things out once and for all. He had come in every day to see if I had heard anything from her since she had gotten on that plane and I'd had to drag him away from the security glass at the airport. He wanted to know what had she said and if she was okay. It eased somewhat when she finally contacted him directly.

I remembered him walking into my office, slamming the door into the wall, plunking down in a chair, breathing deeply, and then saying, "She misses me, Em, she said she misses me."

I felt for him, I really did, God, if Rose decided to up leave and go somewhere like that, I would have had a meltdown, too. I just wished for the sake of the company, as well as my little brother and adopted sister, that they would sort it the fuck out already.

I spoke to Alice as discreetly as I could and asked if she had heard anything from Bella since their webcam talk. Alice told me that she had not gotten a response to her emails, either. I decided to call in James. We needed to do some digging under the radar. I wrung my hand through my hair nervously. Jesus, if Edward found out I was keeping this from him, he would kill me and anyone else that knew. I called James and asked him to come up straight away.

Not five minutes later, he was knocking on my door.

"Hey, Em, I was going to come up and see you today, I'm a bit worried that I haven't heard from Bella." His eyes told me he was concerned.

"That's exactly why I called you up here, neither have I and Alice hasn't, either."

"Have you spoken to Edward? Has he spoken to her or heard from her by email?"

"He had, but not for a few days. I wanted to speak to you before I mention it to him. You can imagine how he's going to react. I do think we need to bring him in on this, though, because if he finds out and we didn't tell him, he'll flip and I mean flip. You do realize he's in love with her?"

"I guessed as much, although Bella doesn't think so. It was pretty obvious to me how he behaved around her and especially when she announced that she wanted to go."

"Well, she knows now, he wrote to her and confessed all. She emailed him back. They're going to 'talk' when she gets back. It's all that's getting him through her being away. This is going to kill him. Right then, let's contact Bill straight away."

"I've tried that already and got nothing, Emmett. He's gone MIA, too. That's what has me really worried. Bill's an experienced practitioner, he wouldn't just go AWOL. He's been around the block too many times to just disappear like this voluntary. He spent six months in Afghanistan about a year ago, so he knows how to do things. I know journalists go covert sometimes, but I really think if he did that with Bella in tow, he would know that someone would notice them missing so that the alarm could be raised. I think we should contact that doctor that Bella was staying with. She might know something."

"Right, well, let's get on that right now before Edward gets wind of this. If we don't hear anything positive by the end of today, we need to schedule an emergency meeting and get my father and Edward involved. God, I'm not looking forward to being the one to tell him, though. Do you think we should tell him before the meeting if we don't get anything positive?"

"I hate to say it, but yeah. I think he would rather hear it from you first before we go semi-public. I'll be here with you if it becomes necessary. I'll get on the blower now and get back to you as soon as I have something."

James disappeared out of my door and left me stood feeling helpless and frustrated. If we didn't get a positive result from Dr. Webber, the shit was really going to hit the fan around here.

**James**

I had sent Swan a couple of emails asking for more parts of her story. I was more than a little frustrated that she had not responded to me. It wasn't like her. Even if she didn't have anything, she would have told me just that. Bypassing Bella, I decided to go to Bill. I'd known him for years; he was as sound as a pound and I knew he would be back to me within a couple of hours since his Blackberry was never far from his side. It was after all his livelihood.

Trying to keep busy while I waited was a nightmare. The Cullen brothers were going to flip, especially Edward, if anything had happened to Bella. The boy was head over heels and the girl didn't even know it. I sat at my desk and kept refreshing my screen, waiting for an email from Bill to pop up. Nothing. My Blackberry also stayed silent. When Emmett called and asked to speak to me, I knew I had to mention my concerns to him. Little did I know that he was as worried as me.

Now I was back in my office, the staff outside looking on. I guess my face read of concern. I shut the blinds and with that, shut the world outside away. My fingers drummed nervously on the desk; if I'd had fingernails, they would have been chewed to the wicks by now. I Googled several up-to-date sites looking for news of an outage from Kabul. Nothing. No reason why either of them would not call or respond to emails. The call I put in to the base took a good few minutes to go through. The twelve-hour time difference didn't help, but I could not wait for it to be a reasonable time over there.

My office phone rang, making me jump.

"Cullen Group, James Miller speaking."

"Mr. Miller, this is Colonel Ryan Backhouse, U.S. Communication Corp. I'm in charge of the base at the moment in the absence of my superior. I understand you have some concerns over two members of the press that are currently resident in our base?"

"That's right, Colonel; Ms. Isabella Swan is staying with Dr. Angela Webber at the moment working on a story, and her photographer is Bill Manley, who is staying in the media area. I need to know if anyone has seen them over the last couple of days. Neither is responding to emails or phone calls. Can I ask that you disturb the good doctor in her tent and see if Ms. Swan is there?"

"Sounds like you're really concerned, Mr. Miller. Do you want to hold while I get someone to check or shall I ring you right back?"

"I'd appreciate it if you could get back to me a.s.a.p. I'll be right here by the phone. Thank you, Colonel; I really didn't know what else to do."

"You'll hear from me shortly, Sir."

I clock watched for what seemed like days, but it turned out to be less than ten minutes. I answered the phone on its first ring.

"Mr. Miller, this is Angela Webber, the doctor Bella Swan has been staying with. She isn't here and I'm really worried. I haven't seen her or Bill for a good couple of days. I didn't think anything about it at first because a colleague of theirs, Riley Biers, told me that he had spoken to them as they left to meet some locals in town, but when Bella didn't come back, I checked her stuff and she hasn't taken anything with her.

"Now, I don't know how well you know her, but the most precious thing she has here is a letter from Edward Cullen. She keeps it under her pillow and reads it every night before she goes to sleep and every morning before she gets up. It's still under her pillow, Mr. Miller. If Bella had planned to go someplace without returning quickly, it would have been the first thing she packed.

"I've questioned Riley Biers since and he seemed unusually distracted. I really don't like it. I can't really tell you anything based on first-hand observation, but Bella had told me that he was behaving…questionably…on more than one occasion towards her and he made her uncomfortable. I've raised my concerns to the camp commander, but I'm so glad you have, too. Now maybe something will get done."

"Thank you for calling me, Dr. Webber. You've told me more than I could have hoped for. Leave it with me; now that we're aware over here, we'll put things in place to find out what's happened."

I said goodbye and walked as fast as I could back up to Emmett's office. I could tell from his face that he knew the news was not good.

"Tell me."

"I spoke to Angela Webber; she's not seen Bella or Bill in days, either. Riley Biers, the freelancer, said he'd talked to them, but Angela doesn't seem to believe him. She says Edward's letter is still under Bella's pillow and she wouldn't have gone anywhere without it. We need to tell him, Em, and we need to get a team on the ground over there looking for them."

"Do what you need to, James, no expense spared. Edward's not due back in the building for another hour or so, so it'll give us a little time to get things moving so we can tell him what we're doing. I suppose I should have Alice and my mother here, too. Shit, and there's Charlie Swan."

"Emmett, no, let's keep it between you, me, and Edward for now. You can tell the rest of the family later if you feel it's necessary. I'll get back to the base Colonel and see what they can do, and what they suggest we do. I'll get back to you a.s.a.p. What time is Edward due in?"

"Around one thirty, I've had a message left on his desk for him to come as soon as he gets in. I'll ring him if he doesn't come up straight away."

"Okay, I'll be back up here at half one with a list of what I've put in place."

"James, what's your gut feeling about this? Is she, or they, going to be okay?"

"I have no idea, Emmett, media kidnappings are rarer nowadays and I think we'd have received a ransom demand by now, or heard of some kind of political statement being made with someone claiming responsibility, but it's been quiet. Something just doesn't ring true here, but until we can get someone close to the ground, I really have no idea. Do you want me to involve Riley Biers? See what he can come up with seeing as he's there?"

"No, not if Dr. Webber is questioning his credibility. He might be involved, especially if he thinks they were on to a good story and it was something he could hijack. I don't have full knowledge of his tactics, but I'll do some digging, see if he has any skeletons buried we need to be aware of. No, let's just get our people in place. Edward's going to want to go. I know that without even speaking to him."

"He's too close, Emmett, he'll act on his heart rather than his head and that could be dangerous."

"I know, but would you like to try stopping him once he finds out?"

"Point taken, I'll see you later."

**Edward**

What an incredible meeting I'd just had. I had managed to secure a fantastic deal for the Cullen Group to promote and cover a large charity gig to be held later in the year at Madison Square Garden. A couple of my contacts in the industry had come good in getting me a great selection of artists to perform free of charge. Rhianna, Beyonce Knowles, Take That, U2, and Coldplay to name but a few. The exposure was going to be massive and we had exclusive press rights as of about an hour ago.

As I walked through the foyer, I couldn't stop the grin from covering my face. All I needed now was an email from my girl and I could die a happy man. I almost felt like doing a jig going up to my office in the lift. I didn't, though, as I was all too aware of the cameras and how much that scene would sell for on EBay. No way was I going to put myself out there like that, no matter how good a mood I was in.

In my office, I stood looking out of the windows, wondering what she would be doing now. Of course, being twelve hours ahead, she'd most likely be sleeping. I wished I was there sleeping with her, wrapped in her arms, knowing that she cared about me as much as I cared about her. Sitting in my leather swivel chair, I saw a post-it note stuck to the front of my computer screen with a note to come straight up Em's office when I got in today. I wondered what he wanted. He could wait a bit; it was not like he would know what time I had arrived in the building. Picking up the phone, I asked my secretary to bring me a coffee. When she brought it in moments later, the phone started to ring. She answered it on my behalf.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen, he's here, I'll put him right on." Mrs. Cope passed the phone over to me and I rolled my eyes, wondering what I had done now.

"Hello, brother, I got your note; I was just going to have a coffee then come up. Okay, okay, I'll come now. Jesus, Em, keep your hair on."

I guessed my coffee would have to wait. I wandered up to the executive floor that Emmett resided on. Me, I liked living on the entertainment floor where I could keep my ears close to the ground and not removed from what was really important to me.

Opening the door to Emmett's plush office, I saw both my brother and James Miller inside and all of the sudden, I got that sinking feeling. My good mood retreated immediately and trepidation took over.

Closing the door behind me not so quietly, I saw Emmett flinch at my action.

"Okay, so what's going on? Why is he here? Is this about Bella?" I realized I was firing questions at them one after the other without response.

"Edward, calm the fuck down and sit for minute will you. James and I want to talk to you about something, but first you need to be calm. Can you do that?"

"No, not if this is about my Bella."

"Edward," James stepped in, "Please hear us out, and then you can react. Okay?" I nodded my head, wanting to really punch him in the face. Fucker. "Emmett and I are a bit concerned that we haven't heard from Bella or Bill for a couple of days. Well, three days at this point if you include today. Have you received any more emails from her?"

"No, what do you mean you've not heard from her? I mean she's emailed you, right? Em, you said she was emailing daily with what she had written."

"That's what we're trying to tell you, Edward. Neither of us, nor Alice, has heard hide nor hair from her for the past three days. No emails, texts, missed calls, nothing. She isn't responding to left messages and isn't answering her emails or telephone. Now, we've spoken to the base Colonel and James has spoken to Angela Webber, and she, too, is really concerned."

"Fuck! Fuck! No! Why is this happening? See, this is why I didn't want her to go. Em, get me on the next flight over there. I'm going to go find her."

"Edward, I'm in touch with the base security officer who's starting up a full investigation, but I knew you'd want to be over there, too, so I've arranged a flight for us tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow? Tomorrow's no fucking good! And what do you mean by us? I need to get over there today. Charter me a jet! I don't care; take it out of my inheritance or trust funds for fuck's sake. This is Bella, my Bella, and I need to get to her as soon as I possibly can!"

"Edward, Angela Webber was worried about a freelance reporter named Riley Biers. He's more or less a permanent fixture over there, scavenging stories where he can. He told Angela he saw Bella and Bill leaving the other day to go meet with some locals, but no one can verify his story. The good doctor doesn't trust him and it appears Bella didn't like him, either. She mentioned to Alice in an earlier email that some creep named Riley had propositioned her and she had knocked him back none too gently. Maybe he didn't like her rejecting him?"

"I'll fucking kill him if he's laid one finger on her! I'll rip his head clean off his shoulders and burn it. I swear, Em, if he's involved, I'll find out and deal with him in my own way."

I was distraught now, my hands raking through my hair as I sat shaking with fury and fear. My poor girl was missing. Jesus, I could strangle her, too. Now maybe she would understand my reaction. Why now, when we were just getting on track. Her email had lifted my spirits beyond belief. I really believed that in time and with a lot of patience and apologies, I could win her back; now, who the fuck knew. Slumping lower and lower in my chair, I had to try hard to stop myself from screaming and crying. Emmett and James were both talking furiously on their phones. Me, I was like a zombie. I mentally slapped myself. What good would I be to her like this? I knew I needed to pull myself together for both our sakes.

"Edward, I've sorted us out a private jet, you can thank me when we bring her and Bill back safely. We'll have to refuel a couple of times, once in the UK, then again in Eastern Europe or the Middle East.

"Our pilot is ex-military; he'll know the quickest route. James is sorting us out a couple of ex-marine's we've used before. They'll go with us and cover our backs. I've also got Jenks on his way, he has a PI he wants to send along to do the mole-type stuff. Our contact at the base will be Ryan Backhouse, he seems decent enough and will give us as much help as he can, and of course there's Angela Webber.

"Edward, Bella's like a sister to me, I know it's different to how you feel, but to me, she's like Alice and I can't let you go alone. I was the silly fuck that let her go out there after all."

He was interrupted mid-sentence when his phone rang.

"Emmett Cullen. What? When? How bad? Fuck, okay, can he still come? I won't be able to stop him, Colonel. Okay, thank you, goodbye."

"Emmett, what the fuck?"

"Edward, the base has been attacked. They've canceled our visit. We need access to a TV; apparently, it's all over the news. No more civilians are going to be admitted onto the base until further notice. They have casualties, people are dead and they don't want the responsibility of more. I can sort of understand that. I'm guessing you'll still want to go? Gianna, get me a fucking TV in here now!" Emmett shouted at his poor unsuspecting secretary.

"No shit, Sherlock, of course I'm still going. Are you still coming along for the ride? I'll sleep in a car at the side of the road if necessary."

"Okay, while we're on our way, James here can try to arrange you a new contact and a place for us to stay. James, ring Angela again, see if she's hurt and if not, see if she can help us out."

Angela was caught up in the blast, but she was not seriously injured. She had a concussion and some shrapnel wounds, but she was okay. She wanted to get back to work to help deal with the other casualties. She figured the initial frenzy would be over in a few hours, providing there were no more blasts. She said she could sort a place for us at the clinic where there were staff quarters for on-call staff and we could sleep there. Ryan Backhouse was not involved in the blast and had some time off due to him and was willing to use it to help us. He had confirmed that if his commanding officer allowed it, he would be our contact from the base and assist wherever he could. However, he might be unavailable if all leave was canceled, which was pretty likely under the circumstances James relayed. We might be on our own.

Gianna wheeled in a large flat-screen TV and as soon as Emmett turned it on, I was transported to the base just outside Kabul. Smoke and chaos filled the screen as the reporter tried to tell the story of what had happened. Behind him, military men and women ran back and forth with colleagues on stretchers. My stomach lurched from the sights and I was almost glad Bella wasn't there to experience that. Emmett and James looked on flabbergasted at the scenes before them.

"Edward, are you sure you want to go? Mum and Dad will freak. It's too dangerous right now, give it a few days, let the dust settle and then we'll review the situation," Emmett implored me.

"Fuck off, Emmett! I'm going with or without you and your support. The love of my life is out there missing and I need to go and find her. In my heart, I know she's okay at the moment, but I don't know how much longer that'll be the case. I need to find her, Em, she's everything to me, please understand that. If something happens to Bella, I might as well be dead anyway. I don't want to live without her, I love her too much."

With that, I walked out of his office and left them both watching the carnage I was going to be seeing first hand very soon. I went home straight away and packed a rucksack with some jeans and hoodies. A small photo of Bella, which I had kept by the side of my bed, was added to my wallet. Alice had given it to me when had she worked out how I felt. I needed Bella near me now.

They collected me a while later and on the way to the airport, Jenks briefed us and his PI on local protocols. He was going to try to make contact with someone local who would be willing to help. I got the feeling that we would need all the help we could get.

At the airport, Jenks and James warned Em and I about being careful. Poor Rosalie did not have time to digest the news of Emmett's departure before he was gone. She was in more or less the same situation as I was with Bella. Her loved one was going over there and might never return.

"James, you better ring Charlie Swan, he deserves to know what's going on. Tell him I've gone to get her back, and that I'll be bringing her back home."

"Come home safely, mates," James said as we parted, "And bring our girl home well and in one piece."

I would, or I would die trying.

**So what did you think?**

**Was this the right place to put this chapter?**

**Your comments and input are much appreciated and I value them all.**

BTW, Life Is So Unfair will be taken down and reloaded this weekend. It's being completely redone courtesy of Dollybigmomma. I'd appreciate you heading on over there and letting me have your thoughts.


	19. Chapter 19

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Dollybigmomma rocks as Beta.**

**Stephenie Meyer is the owner of Twilight and a whole lot richer than me. Lucky biatch.**

**Welcome to all new readers and thank you all for taking the time to read and review. Sorry that I do not respond to you all individually. I like to welcome new readers/reviewers personally, but my main THANK YOU'S will be done here. Also, for anyone who recommends this story to another reader, thank you so much. Great to have you all on board! I hope you continue to enjoy the ride.**

**Chapter 19**

_Somewhere in the Afghanistan wilderness..._

The days dragged, the nights were long and cold. No, in fact, cold was not accurate; it was fucking freezing. Tariq had brought us a scratchy old blanket, but we were grateful. I guess beggars could not be choosers. Back home, I wouldn't have expected a tramp to even use it. God knows what bugs and ticks it had on it, but when you were turning blue from the cold, anything, and I mean anything, would do.

Bill's arms were wrapped around me every night, both for comfort and warmth. We had grown close. I'd opened up about Edward and my mum and he had told me of his loss when his wife had finally said goodbye because of his job. He missed his daughters like crazy and when he was home, he saw them every day. The trouble was he just wasn't home enough. He had missed out on so much of their growing up. I wondered if my mum had the same regrets that Bill had. I seriously doubted it. The difference between my mum and Bill was he wasn't self-centered. Renee, not so much.

Riley had been conspicuous by his absence. I guess with what he had told us about the base, it would no longer be easy to come and go without questions being asked. I think Bill and I were both still reeling from the knowledge that Riley would do something as heinous as that just to throw the attention off of him and our disappearance. The guy really was mental.

My mind wandered back to New York, and Alice and Edward. Of course, Edward was never far from my thoughts. Alice would be going mad because I wasn't responding to her emails or her requests for another webcam conversation. I guess by now, if Edward had emailed me again, he was thinking things were not as he had hoped and that I was ignoring him. Surely one of them would be asking questions. I was sure James would have been anxious for updates and chasing me to respond. Someone over there had to be asking questions already. Now that the attack would be common knowledge, I was guessing all hell would have broken loose at the Cullen Group back in New York. Or at least I hoped so because I really didn't know how much longer I could deal with living like this.

Tariq, bless him, tried his best. I knew he was sharing his food with us. He talked to Bill daily and we knew that he did not agree with Riley's actions. He had met Riley about a year ago and was paid a good amount of money to sell his and his family's story. He could no longer go home. He was shunned by his family and village as a traitor for talking to the enemy. It was not that he was Taliban; no, he just came from a very religious village, one where outside intervention was not welcome, one where they believed their God would make everything okay. His acceptance of money for telling village secrets, well, not secrets, but private things, meant he was no longer accepted as a part of that particular family.

He did not know whether his wife and children had been allowed to stay. He told how he had tried to send them money so that they could join him. It was burned in front of him. He had not seen his wife and two children in eleven months. For all he knew, they might be dead. Riley apparently had been of no help. He threatened and bullied Tariq every day, telling him if he did not comply, the Taliban would be informed of his whereabouts and come to kill him for mixing with the enemy.

He was a sad, lonely man and I felt so sorry for him. Bill told him we would do all we could to help him and ensure he was taken care of if we got home safely. He even promised to find out about Tariq's wife and family and would reunite them if at all possible. Tariq seemed grateful for us just listening. He told us how bad a man Riley was. All the men here in this little outpost were Riley's victims. All told their story and now wished they had never done so. Money meant nothing to these people, what they needed was housing, food, clothing, and schools for their children. Somewhere to worship and learn, along with just the basic necessities of life, was all these people wanted. The money Riley paid for their stories would have been better spent on building new houses, a school, and a mosque.

Days turned into what must have been weeks; at least that was what it felt like. Without windows to be able to gauge the passing of day and night, time seemed to stand still. Nothing…no one ever came to rescue us. Yes, we were fed, well, figuratively speaking. We had a roof over our heads, but nothing else. We were cold and hungry, allowed only an occasional cold dripping shower that sometimes worked but usually didn't, with no soap or shampoo so we were both filthy, stunk to high heaven, and I hated it. Yes, under these circumstances, I knew I should not have been concerned about how I looked, but Jesus, or Allah, or whoever the fuck there was, I looked and felt like I had been buried alive. My teeth felt hairier than my legs and armpits, my hair was filthy and tangled well beyond belief, and I felt like I had half the desert in my scalp.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this, Bill. I honestly think I'm going to go mad. How long have we been here now? I know you don't know exactly, but what's your best guess?"

"I don't know, Bella, maybe a week, maybe more. I've tried to keep count of the nights, but I guess I lost it somewhere along the way. I'll ask Tariq when he comes in. He'll know. You're one of the strongest women I've ever met, love, and in my job, I've met a few. You're doing great, I know it's no picnic in the park and I know how you hate being dirty and smelly, but believe me that it could be so much worse. It really could."

The door opened and Riley walked in with a meek Tariq behind him. He had brought us fresh clothes and a bar of soap. He threw the stuff on the small cot.

"See how good I am to you? Tariq here told me you wanted to get clean, Bella. I'm hoping you wanted to feel nice for me? So out of the goodness of my heart, I've brought you both a set of clean clothes. It's not much I know, certainly no designer labels here, but adequate and clean. Now I'm hoping that you'll see that I just want to be nice, start afresh; see where this takes us," he motioned between us. I felt sick.

"I'd rather rot in hell than be beholden to you, Riley. I'll stay in my dirty clothes thank you. If you expect me to be grateful for clean ones in the way you've just mentioned, I'd rather be buried alive in a grave with a million scorpions than let you touch me!" I spat viciously at him.

Bill came to stand by my side and stroked gently down my back, trying to calm me.

"Ah, I see now. So that's how it is? You prefer older men, is that right, Bella? Someone a little more experienced. And here I was thinking that you and the younger Cullen really did have a thing going. He'll be pleased to hear he's being usurped by an older model."

"What? You're one sick fuck, Biers. Only you would think something like that. Jesus, man, we're stuck in here all day every day and you think we're fucking? Are you a complete idiot? Don't answer that, I already know the answer. Ignore him, Bella, he's not worth it!" Bill shouted.

I had already picked up on something Riley had said, though. He had said he thought Edward and I were really together. Yes, he had mentioned it a few times, but not him finding out about the attack. I wondered if that meant that Edward was here. God, I hoped so. If he was then I would and could hold out because deep in my heart I knew he would come for me. Make me safe, take me home and probably never let me out of his sight again. I clung silently to that.

I was brought out of my thoughts by Riley speaking up once again.

"So, Bill, what do you say you let Bella take a nice long shower? I've arranged some hot water. She can take as long in there as she likes, then once she's done, it's your turn. I just need you to give us a little space to breathe, so after you're done, instead of coming back in here, why don't you have Tariq take you for a walk around. It's not too cold out today and the fresh air will do you good. Give us about an hour? Yeah?"

"Fuck off, Riley. You come within reaching distance of me and I'll rip your fucking head off. You'll die before I let you touch me, do you understand that? I'd rather fuck a dead leper, that's how I feel about you. By all means try; in fact, please try because I'll enjoy every minute of pummeling you into something resembling road kill."

He laughed off my comments, but his eyes told me he was cautious, not sure if I meant to hurt him. I was sure he didn't want to head back to base with obvious scratches that I would surely give him for all to see and question, and if Edward was there, well...

He stormed out of the room and locked the door behind him. I could hear him speaking harshly to the Afghan men outside. Bill's eyes looked at mine.

"You go make the most of the shower, Bella. I won't let him hurt you, even Tariq will stop him. Go on and relax for a while. I'll guard the door so he doesn't intrude."

"Are you sure, Bill? I don't want him taking his fury out on you. I'm really not scared of him. I think he's a coward and a bully and I wouldn't hesitate to take him down. He may have a gun and the upper hand, but he's scared, l can feel it. Did you notice earlier when he talked about my relationship with Edward? I think he's here, I think he's here to look for us. I can feel him close. It won't be long, I know it won't."

When the door was eventually reopened, it was Tariq and not Riley who entered. Bill asked him quietly how long we had been here. It had been seven whole days and six nights so far. I wondered how much longer it would be.

The offer of a hot shower was still on. Riley had gone and was right now skulking his way back to the base. It appeared his frequent absences had been questioned so he was lying low. That sort of tied in with his less-frequent visits here.

The shower felt wonderful. Okay, so the water was hot, but the pressure was low. However, it was better than I'd had so far. The soap was rough on my skin, but it did the job and when I came out, I felt ten times better than when I headed in. My hair had been washed, albeit in soap, and now it hung in wet tangles down my back. I had no brush or comb with which to comb out the knots.

Back in the room, Bill looked up and walked over to the small table.

"You look better, love, much more refreshed. Here, you can use my comb. Sorry it's just a greasy old man's comb, but it's better than nothing."

I smiled and took the comb from his hands. "Aren't you going to take advantage of the hot shower, Bill?"

"Yeah, but first I wanted to make sure you were okay. Listen, it seems like the Cullen's are here. Tariq mentioned that Riley is under some pretty tough scrutiny back at the base. He's been interviewed and questioned several times by someone from the U.S. He refers to him as 'who the fuck does he think he is.' Tariq mentioned he said something about his looks and his airs and graces. It's got to be Edward, Emmett, or James. Don't you think?"

"Edward wouldn't let James come; he's here, I can feel him. It'll be just a matter of time until he finds us."

As Bill walked out of the now-unlocked door and into the small shower room, I felt a new sense of hope. Edward was here and he was coming to get me. I just hoped Riley didn't do or say anything that would convince him to leave; or worse yet, do something that would cost him his life. Riley would be in huge trouble if what he had done was discovered, so he would no doubt be scared of getting caught and desperate to cover his tracks, which had me worried.

Desperate, scared people could be the most dangerous and unpredictable of them all.

**So are we still feeling the hate for Riley? I know I am. I almost want him to try something so Bella can punch him again.**

**Until next time...**

**Let me know what you think!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Dollybigmomma, this story would not be what it is if not for you and your Beta skills. You're amazing and I thank you for your time and words of advice and encouragement.**

**Welcome, welcome to all new readers, and to those who take the time to drop me a review, I salute you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, it makes all my late nights worthwhile.**

**Thanks also to those who are spreading the word. Keep doing so - the more the merrier!**

**Chapter 20**

_**At a little outpost somewhere in the Afghanistan wilderness…**_

**Bella**

Boredom was threatening to drive me mad. It had been four days since Riley had been here. I knew this because when he left last time, I had gotten Bill to ask Tariq for a scrap of paper and a pencil. He did better than that, though. He got me my handbag, minus my Blackberry of course. Inside was my paper diary along with countless pens and pencils. I had kept a strict record of the days passing since then. I didn't want to forget or get confused about our days ever again. It had been eleven days and counting since our kidnapping, and I hoped we were a high priority now, at least to someone.

Tariq told Bill that Riley had not been able to get away from the base. He was scared someone would follow him, maybe Edward? Tariq told Bill more about Riley, grumbling and saying that Riley was treating everyone even worse now and that he was scared, really scared. He knew his time was almost up and was trying to cover his tracks. He had even asked the men to dispose of us in the mountains. Thankfully for us, none of them had agreed to commit murder, and from what Bill said, they actually told him to do his own dirty work.

I was not sure if that was what I wanted to hear, though.

Unfortunately, there was no more hot water. I had, however, managed to keep hold of the bar of soap and so I at least felt somewhat clean most days. I knew water was scarce around here so I took my showers every other day and made them quick. I felt like I was doing my bit if nothing else. Food again was much of the same; boiled rice, and if we were lucky, we got veggies with it, and if not, plain old beans. It felt a bit like we were on that TV show, 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here.' That was all they ate here, rice and beans. Trouble was Bill and I didn't have the choice of doing tasks to earn more luxury items.

We found out through conversations with Tariq that we were well over two hundred miles from the nearest village or town. We were informed that no one came out here other than traders and the Taliban. Not good news for us. Our only hope was that someone did follow Riley on one of his now rare visits, and preferably not the Taliban.

Tariq let us have a walk outside every day now. He, like us, knew we had nowhere to run. We would be dead within twenty-four hours because the terrain was so treacherous and the weather extremely harsh. No, we'd take our chance here, wait it out, hopefully to be found or I guess stay indefinitely. A shudder ran through me when I considered possibly never seeing Edward's face again, or Alice's. Not to mention my dad's. No, I couldn't and wouldn't think like that.

The door to our room was mostly left open now, so when it was suddenly slammed shut and locked, I knew something was going on. We could hear loud, harsh voices in a native tongue, and then banging and slamming with the sound of many feet close by. The handle of the door turned, but nothing happened since it had been locked. I moved silently to Bill's side, knowing it could be someone far worse than Riley on the other side. Again, loud angry voices were echoing through the building and I recognized Tariq's voice now among the mix. I knew Bill would tell me later what was said, but right now I was too scared to utter a sound.

After an age, the footsteps eventually receded away from our door and the raised voices continued from outside. The slamming of a car or truck door then an engine starting up told us that for now, whoever had wanted to get in had gone.

The question was would they be back?

We moved to the cot, as I was still a little shaken. Even though we were captives here, I had become a little complacent almost in my feeling safe knowing that Bill and the Afghan men did not want to hurt me. Riley and the Taliban, however, were a different matter.

The door opened and Tariq gestured quickly for us to come with him. In one of the larger rooms, one of the other men was cooking. We were told to sit down so we did so quietly. Bill started to ask questions and nodded his head several times in response to their answers.

"Bella, love, the people we heard were Taliban scouts, just a few men that go on ahead to make sure things are as they should be and that there'll be no surprises. It appears we're now officially missing, and even they know about us. Apparently, a couple of Americans are causing quite a stink, asking questions and demanding answers by all accounts. It's making the Taliban nervous. They're looking for us, too; not to give us back, but to use us as leverage in the fight."

"That doesn't sound good, Bill. I've heard about kidnappings for that same reason before, but it still didn't stop them from torturing and ultimately killing their hostages. Will they be back in more force?"

"I think so, yes. Tariq told them he did not have a key to our room, told them it was locked when he came and had not been opened since. Today they believed him, tomorrow they might not. One of the others said he knew one of the Taliban. He was told the main group is two or three days from here at the most. We've got be out of here before then or they'll find us, love. If not, then your guess would be as good as mine as to our fate."

"The Americans, Bill, it has to be Edward and Emmett."

"I think so, too, but they're of no use to us back at the base. They need to be searching far and wide, and right now they need to have Riley fucking Biers by his short-and-curlies, making him spill his guts because we really don't have time to play with here. If those men come back here like these guys are expecting, we're dead meat. We'll be used as bait and killed anyway. It won't be pretty, and Bella, I won't be able to save you if they decide to abuse you. I'm sorry for being so brutally honest, love, but I just need you to know how it'll be."

I shuddered at that thought, but I knew Bill was telling the truth. "Do you think that Tariq has access to our Blackberry's? If he could turn his head for just one minute, I could send a text to Edward and point the finger at Riley and hope he caves. Do you think Tariq could tell us what direction we are from base or tell us some map coordinates? I know it's asking a lot, but if it's Riley he's scared of, we can help him with that. Riley is piss easy compared to what's probably coming."

"I don't know, Bella, I'd need to get him alone. While the other men are tolerant of us and mean you no harm, they're more nervous and I think they would be more likely to panic and put us back to where we were on day one. I'll talk to Tariq a bit later, okay?"

"It's worth a try, isn't it? I mean, I don't even know if my Blackberry will still have any charge, but if we don't ask, we won't get."

My mood lightened considerably, and even the rice and beans tasted good tonight. I pretended not to notice when Bill followed Tariq into the kitchen area. Their heads were close and I could hear challenges and rebuts. A violent shake of his head left Bill with nothing left but to rejoin me.

In the room about an hour later, I was surprised when Tariq locked the door behind him as he left for the night. Tonight he had left us with a small candle so we had some light.

Bill's face developed a small grin and I knew then that he had managed to acquire either mine or both of our Blackberry's. He chucked mine to me which was either switched off or dead. As I pressed the on button, I prayed for the former. At first I got nothing, not even a flicker and my heart sank. I tried again just in case I had not hit the little button in the right place. Sure enough, it sprang to life. I prayed hard and gave silent thanks to whatever higher power had been listening.

My jubilation was short-lived, however, as I saw only two small bars, showing how low my battery was. Then another thing hit me right between the eyes. There was no reception. The bars on the left hand side of the screen were non-existent, not one, not even a hint. Why would there be out here? Tears poured down my face. I really had thought that this was the answer. Bill placed his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in tight.

"It was always going to be a long shot, love. No reception? Huh, I should have guessed really, us being in the profession we're in. I guess if we ever make it back, we should recommend this place to someone like Orange or Vodafone; they'd make a fortune if they put up a receiver here," he said with a hollow laugh.

I sat playing with my phone anyway. I even typed up a short message:

_Edward, Riley took us, he knows where we are. Outpost is three hundred K's southeast of Kabul near Pakistan border. _

I pressed the send button over and over, but it wasn't going anywhere. Bill's phone had less battery left than mine and he, too, had no reception. His message was left unsent as well, only his was to his daughters.

**Edward**

I hated it here. The days were hellishly hot and dry, and everything and everyone was covered in dust 24/7 to the point of it being hard to breathe. The nights were the extreme opposite, fucking freezing with a wind that howled right through you. God, if Bella and Bill had been kept out in the open in this place, they wouldn't have stood a chance. My body recoiled at just the thought of her being dead. She wasn't, though; I knew in my heart of hearts that she was alive. I would know for certain if she was dead because I would have nothing left to live for.

Riley scumbag Biers; I wouldn't trust that fucker with a penny, never mind my girl. Emmett had had to sit on me to keep me from ripping his head off. Slimy motherfucker was smarmy as fuck, trying to tell us that Bill and Bella were real close. Yeah, like that was even possible. Thank god Angela Webber soon poured cold water on that story. She didn't trust him, either. She wouldn't tell me why, but she was nervous around him. He acted like he didn't have a care in the world outwardly, but when you looked closer, he, too, was nervous, really nervous, especially around me and Emmett. I couldn't help but wonder about him.

Ryan Backhouse proved to be a real asset to the team. He had contacts we couldn't have dreamed of coming up with. He had eyes and ears in every street and alley in downtown Kabul who would know if Bella and Bill were there. They weren't in the city; that much was clear. All of Ryan's enquires had come up blank. The PI that Jenks had sent with us also came up with a big fat zero. We needed to widen our search, look further afield.

Angela told me of Riley's persistence with Bella even after she had told him she wasn't interested. My heart had swelled with pride and love when Angela told me how Bella had made it quite clear to Biers that she and I were together. Then Angela brought me to my knees when she handed over my letter. She'd found it under Bella's pillow, telling me how Bella read it every night before she went to sleep and every morning before she got up. I only hoped we would get the opportunity to talk about its contents.

I needed to speak to Biers again soon. We were still not allowed access to the base so I had Ryan fetching him to the clinic where Emmett and I had set up an office. Here we had maps and markers showing the areas that had been covered. We would slowly close down all of the fucking country if that was what it took to find her.

We heard the military jeep pull up, so I got hold of myself long enough to talk to the man who would dare to mess with my reason for living. I watched with barely-restrained ire as Ryan ushered Riley into the clinic. He tried to look cool, calm, and collected, but I could tell he was definitely nervous being here on odds.

"Mr. Biers, come in. I'm Edward Cullen and this is my brother, Emmett Cullen. I understand you know my Bella, and Angela said you were a friend of Bill's, is that right?"

"I would use the word acquaintance more than friend, Mr. Cullen. We've worked together on occasion over the years. When he turned up here again with Ms. Swan in tow, I naturally offered them use of my expertise as a professional courtesy."

"So, did either of them let you in on anything they might have had going?" I asked casually trying to feel him out.

"No, I'm sorry; they seemed to keep their cards pretty close to their chest, so to speak. They actually seemed quite close personally as well. Dr. Webber has no doubt told you that there was nothing going on between those two, but I beg to differ. I saw things in the media tent that maybe she didn't see. They were really close, and I mean _close_," Biers smirked, trying to insinuate something romantic between Bella and Bill. He had no idea how close I was to fucking killing him with my bare hands.

My temper was fast unraveling, so Emmett stepped in.

"I don't think you need concern yourself about Ms. Swan's relationship with Bill, Mr. Biers. You see, she and my brother here have an understanding that goes way beyond anything I've ever seen before. Anything you _think_ you saw between Bella and Bill was work; nothing more, nothing less. Now, where is it you go to most days? I'm interested to know how it is that even though the base is on high alert, you manage to disappear for large parts of the day and I wondered where to?"

"Am I under suspicion of something, because if so, I'd like to know what?"

"We need to find two very special people to us and we'll leave no stone unturned to find them. Asking questions and looking into people's days and nights gives us more of a chance at achieving our goal. Now, Mr. Biers, where exactly is it you go off to?"

I watched his eyes as they darted between us. He was hiding something and I could tell he was looking to deflect the heat away from himself.

"Well, gentlemen, I've been here so long now I sort of have an understanding with one of the local girls. You know what I mean? I scratch your back and all. Well, that's where I go most days."

"Who is she and what's her address? We'll need to check it out. I'm sure you understand."

He nodded and simply wrote down a name and address. It was all so easy, too easy. He gave up her name and address too quickly for my liking and I wondered how much he had paid her to lie for him. As he walked out, the hackles on the back of my neck were standing straight up. Something was not right here and I could feel it.

I looked at the name and address on the small piece of paper after he had left the room. When I passed it to Angela later, she raised an eyebrow when she saw the name.

"You seem surprised, Angela. Is it a name you know?"

"It is," she nodded. "This girl, Fatima Rawat, is about to have a baby, Edward. She's been coming to see me at the clinic for months. She's been shunned by her family and community for allegedly having an affair with a married man. I wonder now if that's the truth or if she's been having a relationship with Riley and it's his reputation that's caused them to shun her. He's not at all popular with the locals and has a number of enemies and allies, all of them bad as well. His methods of getting a story, no matter what the costs or consequences, are not welcome here."

I got the PI straight on it. A few hours later when I was told the girl had confirmed her relationship with Riley, I felt a little subdued. I'd had high hopes of getting somewhere, but now I was back to square one.

The days here all fell into the same routine. Ryan refused to allow Emmett and me out in a search party. He told us it was too dangerous and that Taliban scout parties would relish the chance to pick up two high-flying Americans. So for now, I had to be content with coordinating the searches from here at the clinic. Not for long, though, because we were not making any progress and I could feel…_things_. Bella was slipping from my grasp, but I would not give up, I refused to allow that to happen.

I still didn't trust that Riley was telling us the truth, and Angela agreed. Emmett was undecided. Riley's story stacked up, so Ryan backed off of him a little. I hoped that by doing so, he would slip up a little and give me the chance to jump all over him.

He came to the clinic pretending to act concerned, but anyone who had ever met him could see it was an act the damn man was so false. How he had achieved such a great rep as a freelancer I would never know. Some of the newer, more talented young journalists at Cullen would eat him up and spit him out.

His guard seemed to be dropping, though, and he had even taken to calling me Edward, making me cringe. He seemed to hang around superfluously, trying to be inconspicuous in his attempts at listening to conversations, not really offering anything other than a bad smell and the taunting suspicion that he wasn't telling us the truth.

Emmett had taken to complaining, about the lack of sleep, the lack of sex, and the place in general. I had blown up at him, not really meaning to. "Just go the fuck home then if that's what you want, Emmett. Just leave me alone to do what I need to do. I'm not leaving here without her and that's final. Go home to Rosalie and your nice comfy life if you can't hack the lack of sleep or sex. Jesus, man, it's only been a week! How the fuck do you think I feel after four years? Just leave me alone, Em; I need some space to think things through, I need to see what we're missing here."

Stumbling a little and full of emotion, I took myself behind the curtain Angela's staff had erected to give us some privacy while we slept. I sat on one of the narrow cots and fiddled with my phone. I passed it around my fingers, just looking for something to do, anything to take my mind off of missing Bella.

Exhausted, I finally gave in and rolled over, letting sleep overtake me. I was still fully clothed, but it was dark when I woke up. I didn't know at first what had woken me until I saw my phone was still in my hand and a light was flashing brightly in the dark. I sat up to read the incoming text message and my gasp was obviously heard elsewhere as Emmett opened the curtain and entered the small area.

"You okay, Bro?" he asked.

"Em, it's her. I've got a message from Bella, she's alive!" I clicked on the little box and read before jumping up and passing the phone to my brother who quickly read the message as well.

"What the fuck!" Emmett shouted in anger.

As I ran out past him, I growled, "I'm going to fucking kill him, you coming?"

Biers was a fucking dead man.

**So, they know she's alive, now all they have to do is find her before the Taliban arrive.**

**Do you think he should kill Riley or leave it to Bella?**

**Until next time. Let me know what you think!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Set Fire to the Rain**

Once again, I have to thank all the new readers and those who take time to review religiously. It means the world, thank you. I'm so glad you're all so invested in this story.

**Dollybigmomma is Beta. You're the real star behind the success of this story. Thank you.**

**Stephenie owns, I just borrow from time to time.**

**Chapter 21**

**BELLA**

I didn't even notice when my Blackberry eventually died. I was hanging on to it for dear life, especially after Bill told me I could try sending my message again via some sort of roaming signal. By pressing a key I didn't even know was there, it would keep trying to send it periodically until it had successfully sent the message or I told it to not bother. Huh, was I a technophobe or what? It was all way over my head, but apparently if I selected the special key, it, being super intelligent, equipped with all the latest technology, would search randomly for any remote signals on its own that were available. Jesus, why did I not know this? I guess because back in New York, getting a signal was not a problem and I had never read the blurb that came with my nice new phone three months ago.

Turning over in the small cot, I prayed that it had in fact latched on to some remote signal and let my message get through to Edward. I would hang on to that hope until I knew otherwise. Bill's phone didn't last long at all, but then again, he had messaged just about all and sundry in the hope of getting us rescued. He was quiet now and I knew he was thinking about his lovely girls back home.

"Bill, what should we do tomorrow? Should we ask Tariq to get us out of here?"

"What do you mean, Bella love?"

"Well, if the Taliban come back and find us here, won't the men be in as much trouble as us for not giving us up before? I mean surely they'll see that as deception on their part."

"You might be right. I'll bet Tariq and his mates haven't even thought about that. I'll drop that in a bit later when he brings us some grub. Jesus, Bella, good thinking; we're all sitting ducks here, surely they'll see that. It doesn't look like that shit, Biers, is coming back any time soon. I'll bet he's too busy covering his arse to think about us out here anymore."

"I agree, slimy toad will be covering all the bases he can in case he can walk away unscathed; although, if I know anything about Edward and Emmett Cullen, they'll not be giving him an easy ride. My guess would be if he gives them one sniff of anything, they'll be on him. Edward especially, he's always been a bit like a dog with a bone."

"Let's hope you're right, girl, let's hope you're right."

Poor Bill, he sounded almost defeated. I leaned over and gave his hand a small squeeze to let him know I was here. He managed a sad smile before getting up and knocking on the door, hoping to attract attention.

Flopping back on the cot once again, I let my mind wander back to better days and definitely better things. Hmm, much better things; Edward, to be precise. Well, Edward's lips on mine, his hands roaming freely over my all-too-willing body. His tongue, oh, god, his tongue, gentle and probing at first, and then fighting for dominance with my own before once again turning worshipper; first of my mouth, jaw, neck, and then beyond. Then he slowly would move south. I could almost feel him licking my shoulder blades and moving slowly down to firmly lave my nipples before nipping and suckling on the now rock-hard pebbles. That tongue, though, wow, I squirmed as he continued his journey south. No, squirmed was not the right word; my whole body would lift and rise to meet him. I wanted to cause as much friction as I could and pushing myself into him was all I could do to achieve it. I loved what he was doing to me and my body. When he reached my promised land, it was like all the fanfare of the orchestra was playing 'Hallelujah'.

Tears trickled down my cheeks now as I wondered if I would ever get to experience those feelings again. I hoped so, I truly did. Now after being locked away from my real life, from everything I knew, I realized that my being angry and upset with Edward was trivial. Yes, I was hurt, incredibly so. I was young and in love and did not even stop to consider that maybe he was as scared as me. Sure, we needed to talk, and if we were ever going to be more than friends with benefits, then we needed time to talk and space, lots of space away from our families so that there was no additional pressure. I only hoped I got the opportunity to be in his arms again.

If I got the chance, I decided I was going run into his arms and kiss him when I saw him, like my life depended on it. I needed to let him know that there was hope for us, but also let him know that I was so fucking glad to see him and that I had missed kissing him desperately, no, achingly. Well, whatever word a pretty desperate-to-kiss-Edward-Cullen woman might say.

I giggled then, thinking of how shocked he would be. Not to mention poor Emmett's reaction. My lovely adopted bear of a brother, I wanted to hug and squeeze him, too, but in an altogether different way. No, my thoughts for Em were nothing but that of a sister for her brother. My feelings for Edward had never been that platonic or sisterly; if that had been the case I would have been locked up years ago.

"Bella!" Bill semi-shouted from nearby, bringing me out of my lust-filled thoughts, "I don't know what the hell you were thinking about there, girl, but you sure do have a soppy look on your face. I'm guessing it's not me or Riley Biers, eh?"

I managed to growl loudly at him before laughing at his silliness.

"Sorry, Bill, I was miles away, do you need something?"

"Nah, just teasing you really, it was nice to see that look on your face and I'm kind of hoping the guy that put it there is not too far away and I can see your real happy face soon. Does that sound good?"

"You have no idea how good that sounds. How real it all will be is anyone's guess, though."

We sat quietly hand in hand for a while and listened to the silence, if that made sense. Right now, silence equaled safety, and I would take it.

**EDWARD**

I could not even feel my feet touching the ground as I ran out to the truck Ryan had acquired for us during our stay. I could hear Emmett behind me talking quickly into his phone. From the one-sided conversation, I could tell he was talking to Ryan back at the base. When I heard the words 'put him under house arrest', I could not help the small but sly grin that crossed my face. It would take more than a few soldiers to stop me from ripping him limb from limb. He had messed with my Bella and even before I knew he was responsible, I wanted to beat him senseless for trying to force his attentions on her, and I wanted to kill whoever had taken her. We could kill two dirty birds with one stone.

I slid into the passenger seat of the truck knowing I was in no fit state to drive. Emmett got in and finished his conversation before starting the engine and driving us to our destination.

"So what did Backhouse have to say?"

"He'll detain him until we get there. Once we show him the text, they'll arrest him formally and take it from there."

"Fuck, I want to deal with this, Em. If we leave it to the military, it could be too long before we get answers. He'll be more scared of you and me. Do you think Ryan can keep the authorities at bay for a while?"

"I really don't know, Edward, but are you sure you want to do this, because what if you lose it properly? You're too close, man. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Bella like a sister, but god, Edward, she's your soul mate and you dealing with her kidnapper is not a good idea."

I didn't answer him, I couldn't. I knew he was right, but who else could I rely upon to get the answers I needed quickly? When we pulled up in front of the sentry post for the base, we were interrogated by several soldiers and it was only when Ryan joined us that we were finally allowed access. I handed over my phone immediately so Ryan knew we were telling the truth.

"So what do we do now? Where is he? Can I have a few minutes with him before you guys take over?"

"Edward, calm down, mate. I've spoken to one of our specialist in communications and he tells me that we may be able to get a precise location on where the text came from. All phones nowadays have a built GPS, he's going to try and get a trace on the location for us. Our main problem will be if they've been moved or he can't get a trace on the signal. That may be a much quicker solution to this than interrogating Riley Biers."

"Yeah, he's a sly fuck. We already know this, and just think how he'll feel if we can bypass him and find them. At the moment, he has no idea why he's under house arrest. If we're able to find them and bring them back, just think about his reaction if we let Bella and Bill confront him," Emmett smirked.

I could see Emmett's logic, but I was an inpatient man and I just wanted my girl back safe. Thinking it over as we walked towards the large communication tent, I nodded my head in agreement and once again handed over my Blackberry.

Ryan handed over the phone and the guy immediately started pressing buttons and connecting it up to what looked like a massive switchboard. My eyes opened wide as the board lit up and a series of flashing lights showed clearly a map of the country we were in.

"Okay, Edward, so this is a high-tech tracking system which is now trying to pinpoint the GPS on Bella's phone. This part will only work if Bella's phone is still switched on. If it can't find anything via this, it'll automatically look at the GPS of where the message came from. It'll be a start if nothing else, and we know from Bella's words that they're somewhere along the border to the southeast."

For what seemed like ten minutes but was actually only a few seconds, I stood and watched the system do its stuff. Line after line of green flashing lights stopped and started up again, searching and dismissing as it scanned the airwaves. The lights seemed to settle in what I assumed was the right general area and I was drawn to the printout that was being produced off to my right. The young whizz kid snatched off the printout and read it, nodding his head before passing the paper to Ryan.

"Well, gentlemen, it looks like we may have struck gold. The message was sent from these coordinates which confirm what Bella texted about being near the border to Pakistan. It would appear there's no current signal transmitting, but we got a good read on where the message came from. This indicator is right to within about twenty-five miles."

"How long will it take us to get there? And more importantly, how do we get there as fast as we can?"

"Well, over land we'd be talking eight hours or more, and we could not guarantee not to be disrupted by enemy fire. I think, however, I might be able to acquire us the use of a U.S. Army helicopter for the day. I can call in another favor and it would save us an awful lot of time."

"When can we set off?" I demanded impatiently.

Emmett and I were ushered into another nearby tent, this time it held a fairly informal room with easy chairs and a large TV. A couple of soldiers made their way out when we entered. We were told to sit and wait here. Ryan gave me back my Blackberry and I immediately checked for any more messages. None, I didn't really expect there to be. I decided to text Bella back on the off chance she got access to her phone again.

_**I'm coming to get you. Hold tight.**_

I pondered whether to add anything romantic like I love you or wait for me. No, at this moment in time, all she needed to know was that I was on my way to get her. The romance and stuff could wait. I needed to remember that I was still mad with her. I knew something like that this would happen, but would she fucking listen...no. Stupid, mutton-headed woman, she drove me crazy with her hair-brained scheme and now I had to travel around the world to bring her back safely. Shit, did she still not realize that she drove me mad? Once I got her into my arms, it was unlikely she would ever be allowed out of my sight again. She might think I was joking, but she would be wrong.

"Twenty minutes, guys," Ryan shouted to let us know to be ready. The helicopter held around twenty and I was surprised to see almost that number of us line up to get onboard.

I later found out we were taking a platoon with us as we would be entering a stronghold for the Taliban. In the hills and harsh remote landscape, they could easily hide and we could find ourselves open to attack. I didn't care; all I wanted was to get Bella back. I needed to feel her in my arms, smell her scent all around me. I needed it to survive.

The men chatted amongst themselves. I soon gathered from Ryan that they were all volunteering their help on their days off. I would have to make sure they were all well rewarded for their time and efforts once we were back home. I was suddenly very tired. I suppose I was a little overcome with emotions; I mean if all went as we hoped, she might be back in my arms later today. That or we could both be dead. No, I refused to think like that. She and I would both be okay, we all would. This elite group would get us on the ground and in and out of where we needed to be in a flash. Once I had Bella, I, too, wanted to be out of there. I wasn't intending on staying around for any welcome parties.

My eyes drifted closed as I pictured her perfect porcelain skin and the peaches and cream glow it got when she was embarrassed. I could almost feel how soft she felt when I used to rub my nose across her cheek. God, how I missed her. Her perfect rose-colored lips would be swollen and inviting after a make-out session on the beach, or looking down at her when she had those same lips wrapped around my throbbing dick. I could feel myself hardening a little at the memory.

Shaking myself alert, I resolved to make sure I got to relive those particular memories over and over again. With a jolt, we were on the ground and exiting the helicopter. Our surroundings were barren to say the least. Everything was the color of sand, even the mountains rising nearby. Four hundred meters from where we had landed was a small village and I mean small. I could see three or four buildings and nothing else. An old truck was parked up so I knew there was some kind of life here. I silently prayed that she was here.

Ryan and the men moved forward slowly, constantly on their guard. All hell broke loose when a man appeared out of nowhere and raised voices brought out more men. They all put their hands up into the air and fell to their knees.

Shouting and running all happened at once. Emmett and I were pushed to the side out of the way as Ryan talked directly to the local men. I assumed he was asking if they knew Bella and Bill and if they knew where they were. I saw nodding heads and felt my knees start to give way.

She was here! Oh, God, she was actually here. I was going to get her back.

The sound of gunfire stunned my celebration in an instant. The soldiers immediately formed a protective circle around the men, and Emmett and me as well, keeping the gunmen out of the immediate vicinity.

"Edward, you and Emmett check out the little house to the right, one of the men said she's in there with Bill. Go on, we need to get back to the helicopter as soon as possible if they're here."

Unable to believe my ears, I started to run towards where I was instructed to go, shouting her name as loud as I could.

Nothing was going to stand in the way of me getting to her now.

**So what do you think? As usual, let me know. I love to hear your thoughts.**

**Until next time...**

**Don't forget to pop over to Life is so Unfair. It's totally different from this story, light and funny as fuck, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it as well!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**So, I guess I should be apologizing. I hadn't really thought that chapter 21 was so much of a cliffy. Jesus, he's there at last to save her, I'm sure you can all wait a little longer! **

**Thank you once again for all your commitment to reading and following this story. As I've said before, you make it all worthwhile.**

_**Dollybigmomma, there are no words to say a big enough thank you for your guidance and wicked way with words.**_

**Chapter 22**

**BELLA**

I got over my little nostalgic moment and soon fell fast asleep in Bill's safe and strong arms. If we ever got out of this place, I would look upon Bill as a dear uncle. We had grown incredibly close, talking about things even Alice probably couldn't wheedle out of me. I would value his opinion and friendship for the rest of my life if I got the chance. I hoped he felt the same way about me. I felt like I knew his daughters he talked about them so much, and it was obvious he doted on them, to me that much was certain.

The room was dark as usual when I was awakened by the sound of loud voices and feet scurrying in the corridor outside. I tensed immediately and that in turn woke Bill up. We sat up slowly. I was wrapped securely in his arms. This was it. I could feel the tension, the Taliban were here. Shit, now I would never get the chance to tell Edward how much he meant to me. I would never get to writhe in pleasure when he kissed and made love to me. I would never get the chance tell him just how much I loved him, always had.

I strained to hear what was going on until I heard a command in English. My eyes went to Bill's straight away.

"Did I hear that right?"

"I was thinking it was me hearing what I wanted to hear, but I guess if you heard it, too, it must be real. We still had better be quiet in case it's Taliban that were educated in an English-speaking country. It's not unheard of for them to be sent to the U.S. or the U.K. to go to school and learn fluent English. That enables them to travel and communicate with the west."

I nodded my head, fully understanding what I was being told. The next thing I knew, I was ducking for cover as machine gun fire went off all around the small building.

"Fuck, it looks like whoever's arrived has got company, Bella love. This may not be a straightforward rescue mission now. I hope to god if it's the U.S. forces out there that there are enough of them to take on this fucking Taliban lot," Bills whispered loud enough for me to hear over the gunfire.

I had just about gotten used to the sound of explosions and gunfire before we were kidnapped. It was always relatively quiet here so now it scared the shit of me all over again. I was determined not to cry, at least not yet. If I thought for a minute... wait...did I just hear my name being called out? No, it couldn't have been, I was just not that lucky, but then once again, I heard it.

"Bella!"

It was him, Edward had come for me! Fuck the promise not to cry, tears fell freely down my cheeks and I could not stop myself from crying out, "Edward, I'm here! Oh, God! Edward, I'm here!"

Bill pulled me to my feet and we waited for the door to open. When it finally did, a thoroughly pissed-off looking Edward Cullen burst in and just stopped dead in front of us, starring straight at me.

"Cullen, I presume? I don't rightly recognize you without a designer suit on and covered in all that fucking dust," Bill said trying, I assumed now, to break the tension in the room.

"Are you both okay? Do you need a medic?" Edward asked now, avoiding my eyes that were boring into him.

Bill and I shook our heads, indicating that we were in fact okay. He still hadn't moved forward and I refused to allow him to do this to us again. I did not get a chance to speak, though, because a man mountain pushed Edward out of the way and wrapped me in his arms.

"Bella! Oh, Bella, I've been so worried. Are you alright? Let me look at you, baby girl." Emmett took a step back and let me breathe again. "You do realize you're never going on assignment again, right?"

I nodded, but moved quickly back into his huge arms.

A more in-control voice spoke up. "Okay, folks, while the reunion is touching, we really need to get back to the copter. We still don't know how many insurgents there are around and for how long we can keep them at bay. I'll just go outside and check the position. Be ready to go on my command," a young fully-camouflaged soldier instructed.

Edward walked slowly toward us. I was still in Emmett's arms, but when Edward was within touching distance, I could not stop myself from reaching out and touching his arm. At first his eyes looked like he was in pain, but then in a flash it was gone and what I would have sworn was a mixture of love, concern, passion, and hatred all rolled into one flashed. A noise that I realized was coming from me erupted and he finally took me into his arms.

Loud sobs, hiccups, and generally making a right prat of myself ensued. He held me so tightly, his face buried into the side of my neck. He hadn't spoken to me directly yet, and I didn't know if that was because he was angry or he hated me for making him worry and have to come here to this godforsaken place to rescue me.

I remembered my promise to myself from only last night. I wanted to kiss him so badly. I mean with all that was going on around us, I might not get the chance again and I needed to feel him. I owed myself this much, so with a deep breath, I pulled myself back a little and lifted up his head with both my hands placed carefully on either side of this lovely face. God, he was so beautiful, I had missed looking at him so much.

Making him look at me was harder than I thought. He tried to avoid my eyes and for a second, I wondered why. Once my eyes dropped to his lips, though, he seemed to get the picture and soon we were slowly moving closer, and with only a couple of inches between us now, I could not resist telling him how I felt.

"I've missed you so fucking much, Cullen. I missed your arms, your lips, your arrogance, all of you." If I'd had any more words to say, I didn't get to say them because his lips crashed into mine. With a groan, I let myself fall into what was the most incredible kiss of my life.

Neither of us could get close enough, teeth clashing, tongues fighting for dominance. It felt fucking wonderful and I never wanted it to end. He was as into it as I was and I for one was really thankful for that. At least he wanted to kiss me as much as I wanted him to.

Someone clearing their throat in the room caused us to separate quickly. Even though our lips had parted, our hands were clasped together tightly. I was not embarrassed, though; why should I have been. I had just kissed the man of my dreams, the man I loved.

As we moved closer to the door, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Don't think that kiss will get you out of being in big trouble, Ms. Swan. You and I are going to have a very serious conversation once we're somewhere safe, and I don't mean the helicopter."

I smiled up at him, but nodded my head knowing he was right, although the conversation I had hoped we would be having would be very different from the one that we were likely to be having, at least first off. Standing slightly behind him, I felt his hand squeeze mine. I squeezed back and nuzzled into his back, dropping a small kiss where my head met his shoulder.

**EDWARD**

When I'd seen the local men nodding at Ryan's questions, elated wasn't the way I felt. I wanted to scream her name and fall to my knees and thank god he had returned her to me safely. When all hell broke loose around us, my heart sank. I was a little more than relieved when Emmett and I were sent inside out of the way of any rogue bullets and also to find the love of my life.

The second I was through the door, I started calling her name. Not a minute later did I hear the sound of her sweet voice directing me to her. She was here and she was okay; well, she sounded okay. Tears formed in my eyes and when I felt Emmett pat me on the back, I knew he'd heard her, too. Slowly and carefully, we edged our way down the dingy corridor, checking out each small room we came to. Nothing. A closed door lay ahead and I knew her voice was coming from behind it. Thirty seconds more and I would see her with my own two eyes.

I opened the door rather too quickly and it slammed against the wall. I took a step into the room and saw her stood clinging on to Bill, looking at me a little stunned. My lips formed her name, but no sound came out. I could not take my eyes from her initially. Then all of my anger and how fucking scared I'd been took over and I looked away. I could feel her looking at me. I wanted to look back, I really did, but I was petrified I'd crumble and fall to my knees and beg her to forgive me. That was a conversation we needed to have somewhere private. I had never been so thankful for someone speaking as I was when Bill made a quip about my attire.

Before I could do anything else, I was unceremoniously knocked to the side as my brother pushed past and took my Bella into his arms. I didn't feel jealous like I thought I might; it was just how they were. Literally like brother and sister. I smiled a little even when she clung to him as desperately as he clung to her as he told her no more assignments. Yes, that would be right.

I moved a little closer to them both and stopped dead in my tracks when her small hand moved to touch my arm. Shock, sexual awareness, and every other emotion flashed through me as I looked at her properly now. God, she was so beautiful and I had missed her so fucking much. She came into my arms eagerly and I wrapped myself up in her. I tucked my head into her neck, hiding a little as well as taking in her delicious scent. This felt so good, and when she pulled back a little, I immediately felt bereft until she placed both of her hands on either side of my face and moved my head to look at her. Her eyes showed me all she was feeling, every emotion, but when her eyes dropped to my lips, I knew I was a goner.

Slowly and almost too painfully, we moved closer and closer together, my breathing hiked while Bella sobbed, but when our lips finally met, it was like heaven and I lost myself in the place called paradise. Feeling her relax into me gave me confidence to deepen the kiss and soon our teeth were clashing as we both tried in vain to get closer. My tongue tentatively asked for permission to enter and was given a warm welcome as well as a fight for dominance. I could lose myself in her mouth quite easily.

Backhouse clearing his throat behind us made us pull apart. Shit, I missed her already, I wanted more. Our lips may have parted, but I made sure we were still joined and my heart swelled when she readily accepted my hands in hers. We needed to be ready to go once we had received the all clear. I needed to get her out of here and somewhere a whole lot safer. She moved behind me, never letting me go. She seemed resigned to the fact that I was pissed with her, too, which was a plus. She was usually feisty, but I supposed her time here and being scared shitless had something to do with that. She nodded readily when I told her we needed to talk.

The conversation about our future would have to wait. That one would take a back seat to the one about her putting herself in danger and what that did to my heart, not to mention the hearts of my sister and brother, as well as the rest of my family. I didn't even want to think about her dad's reaction.

Ryan Backhouse came back in and spoke quietly, telling us we needed to follow him out slowly and quietly. He told Bella and Bill to stay close to me and Emmett and do as they were told. His men had covered the perimeter, and the men Biers had watching Bella and Bill were happy to help in exchange for being given a ride back to the base to safety.

"Stay behind me, Bella. I won't let go of your hand, I promise. Please do as I ask for once in your life, I beg of you. I really don't want to lose you after coming all this way," I finished my words by dropping another kiss on her ever-ready lips.

"I'm right here by your side, Edward, I promise I'm not going anywhere without you, now or ever."

Once again, my heart swelled with love and pride for this incredible girl that I had adored for so long. What a fool I had been to ignore my feelings for so long. I knew I would never again doubt her or myself. That day back at the airport, when she had said those words from behind the glass that I had longed to hear for so long, I knew that day that she was mine as much as I was hers. To hear, or in this case lip read, the words I love you brought me to my knees. Emmett had to practically carry me back to the office that day, and how he managed to stop me getting on the next flight to Afghanistan I did not know. Actually, yes, I did; she needed to do this for her, I had to allow her that.

Carefully, we made our way out of the small building. Sporadic gunfire was still going on all around us. I could feel Bella shaking behind me, but still she bravely stayed with me. Emmett was close to the front now, just a couple of feet behind Ryan. We were only a couple of hundred meters away from the helicopter and relative safety. The gunfire seemed to crank up a notch so we were directed to the ground and to stay still. I went into autopilot and pulled Bella closer to my side, my need to protect her stronger now than ever.

We stayed on the ground forever, or it certainly seemed like it. I loved to feel her nuzzling in close to me. Her lips felt incredible on my neck and the back of my shoulder. I longed to turn her over right here and now and ravish her. All I did, though, was turn and smile at her, squeezing her small hand that was still tightly ensconced in mine. I dared not do anything else for I feared that once I started something, I would not be able to stop. I wanted her so badly, but I knew before anything physical happened, we needed to talk, thrash out the last four years and air all our insecurities, hopes, and fears. I knew we couldn't move forward properly without doing this. Sure, I could fuck her brains out, I knew she would enjoy every second. Sex was never a problem for us; we just fit like that. I moved, she moved, like a satellite. No, sex was never our problem, talking was.

We were once again instructed to get up and move forward. This time I pulled Bella in front of me. I wanted to be sure I could see her every second of the way. The gunfire was less now and for that I was grateful, only the occasional single shot echoed in what seemed the distance. I was glad because it broke my heart to see her flinch every time something was fired.

Closer and closer we got to the helicopter. The other men as well as the soldiers were now bringing up the rear. I turned for just second to make sure they were close by when I felt her go down. I assumed she had tripped; she was, as we all knew, well known for being a klutz. When she didn't immediately groan or get back up, I bent over to see if she was okay.

She was out cold. I couldn't find a rock or anything that she would have hit her head on. I started to panic.

"Bella, Bella, wake up, love, it's me, Edward. Bella?" I moved even closer and put my hands on her face, willing her to wake up and laugh at me or just do something. Emmett joined me by her side.

"Edward?" he asked questioningly.

I was really starting to panic now, so I put my hands on the tops of her shoulders and pulled her up towards me. Her head lolled back and I heard Emmett gasp and immediately looked down to where his eyes were trained. A pool of blood was puddled where Bella's head had been.

"No!"

_**Sorry, sorry, sorry! It just had to be done. You will not get the ending you hope for if you kill me, I hope you all realize that! **_

_**So, just when we thought at last, together again, disaster strikes.**_

_**Please let me have your thoughts on this chapter.**_

_**Until next time...**_


	23. Chapter 23

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta. Her magic fingers work wonders to create what you all love in this story. **

**Stephenie owns, I borrow and play.**

**Thanks to everyone reading and especially those who take the time to review. Hello to all new readers, you're most welcome, and feel free to join in the fun or send me an ear bashing if you like. I think I expected much more hate after leaving poor Bella bleeding on the ground. Dolly said you'd crucify me, but hey, I'm still alive and kicking.**

**I had some time to perv over the lovely Rob in Paris. OMG, I thought I was going to hyperventilate when I saw how gorgeous he looked in a charcoal suit and his new semi-goatee. I have a friend who had tickets to the event and she said he was incredible. She goes to the Brussels event tomorrow, too. Oh, to be able to travel at will and chase your fav actor around Europe… **

**Chapter 23**

**EDWARD**

I was on my knees, holding the reason for my existence in my arms and she was dripping blood all over me and the desert floor below. The words no…no…no…no were the only thing I was aware of. I didn't know if I was vocalizing them or if they were just going round and round in my head. Slowly, I became vaguely aware that Emmett was calling Ryan Backhouse and his medic over to where we were both knelt at Bella's side. His voice sounded urgent and full of concern. I tried not to panic, but my head had already gone into full-blown panic status and it would be easy to slip into a panic attack. However, I couldn't; I knew I just couldn't as it would do me, and certainly Bella, no good at all. I needed to take control of the situation. With a couple of deep breaths and a voice inside my head telling me she would be okay, I vowed to stay calm.

"Edward, move out of the way, let the medic in so he can assess her injuries. It looks like she's been hit by sniper fire. Edward, move out of the fucking way now!" Ryan bellowed in my ear.

Reluctantly, I moved aside, never for a single second taking my eyes off my Bella. She still hadn't moved; not so much as an inch, not even a flicker of her closed eyes. My hands were covered in blood, but I didn't care. How could I give a damn about her blood being on me? I just needed her to be okay. The medic was working too slowly for my liking, but Emmett held me back from interfering.

I about collapsed in a heap when I heard him say her pulse was still good and strong, but she was quickly losing too much blood. He took pad upon pad of cotton wool or lint and placed it to Bella's head. The first pad was soaked with her blood in a matter of seconds, but the second seemed to last a bit longer before he had to replace it again. He continued to check her over, turning her slowly onto her side so that he could examine the affected area.

"Sir, she seems to have taken a hit to the rear of her head. It feels like it's a flesh wound, but it's quite deep and any wound to the head bleeds excessively. We need to get her back to the base asap so the doctors there can evaluate her. While her pulse is strong now, if she keeps losing blood at this rate, it won't be long before she starts to go downhill," the medic's words resonated around inside my head.

Ryan Backhouse looked at Em and I and motioned for us to run to the chopper. I didn't want to leave her; I wanted to be the one that carried her into the waiting helicopter. When three other men came over and helped pick her up, I knew I needed to leave her transportation to the experts.

As we ran towards the chopper, I could still hear gunfire coming from the distance. Fuckers. I hoped the U.S. forces took the lot of them out. Before coming here, I had never really had an opinion on the war; it was all too distant for me. Sure, I was sad when I heard about someone I once knew losing their life here, but in my book, it was their chosen career and I had my own worries.

I had fucked up big style in dealing with my feelings for the girl that was now bleeding profusely from her head. Maybe if I had just grown a set of balls earlier, we wouldn't be here. Maybe, just maybe, we would be back in New York, together and happy. I could only hope at this stage that we actually got the opportunity.

"Edward, get your head down and run. Snipers are what hit Bella; they're camouflaged well so it's hard for my men to pick them off. The sooner we're all back in the bird the better. The men will bring Bella and then you can sit with her."

I nodded and set off towards where I needed to be as quickly as I could. Bill was just in front of me now and as I drew level, he asked me, "Is she going to be okay, Edward?"

"The medic said it looks like a flesh wound on the back of her head. More blood than anything because of where it is, but they need to get her back quickly to stop the bleeding from becoming a problem. Fucking snipers, if anything had..."

He grabbed my arm and squeezed it tightly. "Hey, don't worry about her, mate. She's got some balls, I can tell you that much. She was ready to take on Riley fucking Biers single-handedly. I had to hold her back a couple of times. You've got yourself a right little spitfire there. I hope you can handle her because she deserves the best. She loves you desperately, Edward, so just don't fuck it up when you finally sit down and talk. She told me a little about you and her and how you were going to talk when she got back. She knew you'd come for her you know. She had complete faith in you."

We finally reached the chopper and climbed in. I was more than a little surprised that Bella had talked about me, and us, with Bill, especially when we hadn't talked about things yet ourselves. More food for thought, though. If she was talking to other people about us and how she felt about me, then that was surely a good thing. I remembered her telling me that she loved me through the security glass on the day she left. I didn't even think I could put into words how elated I had felt.

Emmett, Ryan, and the men hurriedly placed a still-unconscious Bella at my side. She was deathly pale, paler than I remembered. Her paleness I knew was due to blood loss. We needed to get her back to the base and safety now.

When eventually the rotors started to turn, I breathed a sigh of relief. As we slowly lifted off the ground, more gunfire exploded all around us. The chopper veered towards the gunmen and opened fire. I hoped they all got what they deserved. The Afghan men with us cheered when they saw the members of the Taliban fall.

Bella's head was now wrapped in a thick bandage. The seepage seemed to have slowed down and I wondered if that was because the medic had wrapped the bandage tightly to stop the blood flow. His hands were still pressed tightly around her head, putting pressure on the area in the hope of stopping the bleeding.

I was going to take the greatest of pleasure in ripping Riley Biers limb from limb when I got back to the base camp. Now that she was hurt, I had an excuse to rip him apart with my bare hands. I prayed silently that what the medic said was right. I still felt sick with worry, though. I moved closer to her and placed her small cold hand in mine.

"I'm here, baby, I'm here. You're going to be just fine," I said while stroking her palm with my thumb. "They'll get your head sorted out then we can go home. You and I have a date we need to arrange. I hope you remember agreeing to that," I continued to stroke her hand, whispering to her in the hope that she could hear me.

They must have radioed on ahead because as we landed, the doors were flung open and several people in scrubs were stood outside the chopper with a trolley waiting for Bella. I could see Angela Webber's concerned face among them. They took her out first and rushed her off towards the hospital. Bill and the Afghan men followed. They, too, needed to be checked out. Even though Bill insisted he was fine, I knew they would also need to be debriefed. The soldiers, as well as Emmett and I, followed after.

"Ryan, can you keep Riley Biers under house arrest?" I asked as we hurried toward the hospital.

"I'll try, why?"

"I don't want him getting wind of Bella's injury or the fact that we've found them yet. I want him to sweat a bit more. I would really have liked for Bella to be the one to confront him, but I guess that's neigh impossible at the moment."

"Leave it with me. I'll see what I can do about keeping him out of the loop. I'll come back to you once I know. Now don't you think it's time you went to be with your girl?"

I nodded and walked quickly towards the hospital tent. The first thing I saw was Bill being examined; he looked okay, a little pale maybe, but not too thin and certainly no signs of abuse. Thank god.

His eyes landed on me and he pointed to a sectioned-off area to the right. I moved forward and pulled the curtain aside. Inside Bella was now laid on an operating table face down. She was covered in green hospital sheets all apart from her head. I could not stop a loud gasp coming out when I saw that Angela was about to shave Bella's hair from around the affected area. Shit, she would have a fit having a bald patch.

"Angela, is there any way you can do what you need to do without doing that? She's going to be pissed if you shave her head, even a small patch."

"I need to see the area clearly so that I can staple the wound together, Edward. I'll try without shaving first, but won't she be glad to just be alive?" Angela put the shaver down and instead picked up a pad of funny-shaped scissors.

"She loves her hair, please try for her," I said quietly. "I'll wait outside, please let me know as soon as you know anything."

I walked slowly back to the room at the other side of the curtain. I was more than aware that she still hadn't come round. I would ask Angela about that when she came to give me an update. Dazed, I sat there for what seemed like forever. Doctors and nurses came and went, tray after tray of bloody bandages in their hands. No one spoke to me. Someone sitting down in the chair next to me brought me out of the haze a little.

"Have you heard anything?" Emmett asked quietly.

"No, nothing. How long since we got back? It feels like forever."

"It's been just over an hour. Edward, listen, she'll be okay. She's in good hands. The medic said it was a flesh wound. No permanent damage, just an awful lot of blood. I wonder if they're doing a transfusion."

"Blood loss is very serious, Em. Her organs could be damaged. She hasn't woken up yet and that isn't good. The longer she's out, the worse the prognosis. I'm going to speak to Angela when she comes to talk to me. Have you let home know we've got her?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "I spoke to mum; she's going to tell everyone else. She and dad are going to drive to Forks to speak to Charlie in person. They think he's going into meltdown. They want to be there to support him."

We sat quietly for a while longer and I tried my best to keep a lid on my increasing panic inside. It was very quiet behind the curtain, even though it was busy with people coming and going all the time. I swore I saw them look at me with sympathy in their faces. No, she was going to be okay, she had to be. I still needed to make things right.

The curtain moved aside and Angela walked towards us. I immediately stood up to greet her.

"Edward, Emmett, well, I've stitched her up. It took twelve staples, so the wound was quite big. She was lucky, so very lucky, because whilst it was quite a deep gash, it could have been much worse. She's going to be sore for a while. We've given her a pint of blood just to help her system recover. My main concern at this point is the fact that she's still unconscious. There appears to be no reason for her to be in this state; however, it's not unheard of for the body to close down to heal. All her vital are good and strong; there's no problem with her brain activity at all so I guess we give her the time she needs to come back to us. Any questions?"

"Well, I was going to ask about her being unconscious, but I guess you've answered that. Can I see her? Can she be moved somewhere I can stay with her? I don't want to leave her side until she's awake at least."

"This isn't New York, Edward, space is at a premium, but I'll see what I can do about getting you a curtained-off area so you can have a bit of privacy. Leave it with me. For now, you can go in, but don't stay too long, Emmett. I'll keep her visitors restricted to you two for now."

"Thank you, Angela, for everything."

She walked away as Emmett and I moved quickly to where Bella lay. She had been moved to a narrow cot, but it looked much more comfortable than the operating table. I was surprised to see she was laid on her back, her head heavily bandaged. I forgot to ask Angela if she had managed to save her hair. Bella looked like she was sleeping and I supposed in some ways she was. Only thing was, I wouldn't be able to wake her up by kissing her like I used to.

Sitting down on the chair at the side of the bed, I immediately took her hands in mine. "I'm here, baby, I'm not going anywhere until we can go together." I dropped a kiss on the back of her hand and hoped she could feel that I was here.

Emmett left me to it. He knew better than to even suggest I leave her. The staff brought me food, but Bella was being drip fed for now. Nurses came and adjusted the flow depending on her chart reading. I dozed off in the chair, her hand still in mine. When I woke up, there was no change. She was stable, her vitals were good, but she was still out of it.

By morning, I could tell Angela's body language was begging to alter. She was worried about Bella's state of unconsciousness. Over and over, she flashed her small penlight into my love's eyes.

"Keep talking to her, Edward, we need to bring her back. The longer this goes on, the worse it'll be. If it persists, I'll have to classify her as in a coma. I'll give her another twenty-four hours before I change her status, though. Talking to her will help if she's still in there. Talk about you two when you were together, they were good memories for her. If she's listening, it might just be the kick-start she needs to come back to us."

Later, they moved us to a quiet area at the back of a partially-used ward. Our area was curtained off and an easy chair had been brought in for me. They had worked out that I was not leaving her. Hell, I spent approximately seven minutes every morning away from her to shower and change, and one of those was getting to and from the shower area. No, I would not leave her side until she told me to.

Emmett came in and sat for a while. He seemed a bit odd, fidgety almost.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm going to go back home, Edward, I just didn't want you to think I was deserting you."

"I don't, Emmett. I fully understand. Look, she's safe so it's okay. You can go on home now, back to Rose and work. We'll be back before you know it. You'll be able to let everyone know she really is okay; well, she will be once she wakes the fuck up."

He smiled at my words and nodded. Gently, he sat on the edge of her bed and leaned over and whispered something in her ear. I guess he was telling her to come back to us all. He kissed her forehead before patting me on the shoulder and walking out.

"It's just you and me now, love. I'm getting a bit bored of talking to myself, so do you think you could talk to me? Please, Bella, I need to hear your sweet voice, even if you tell me to fuck off or shout at me. Just do something, baby, please, for me. Bella, I need you."

Nothing as usual, but I didn't give up, though. I reminisced to her about our childhood; little things I remembered that made me smile. I wondered if she could remember things as clearly as I did. I knew she remembered things about our affair, our weekends, our love bubble as I used to think of it to myself; of course, never daring to vocalize my feelings.

It was now getting late and I had just eaten a hearty dinner. I felt full to the brim and was really quite tired. Pulling my easy chair closer to the side of Bella's bed, I took her hand once again and snuggled down inside the thick sleeping bag they had supplied me with.

"Hey, love, I was just thinking about the time we went camping; this sort of feels like that, doesn't it? Well, it does for me at least here in this sleeping bag. I remember zipping our sleeping bags together, making a double so that we could be close all night. I also remember you moaning about how your back would not like the hard ground and how you would miss your soft warm bed. If my memory serves me correctly, sweet girl, it was one of the best nights we ever had. The love making was breathtaking. I mean it always was, but there under the stars, wow. We made love in the moonlight, totally at one with nature, and then we lay quietly in each other's arms looking at the stars.

"Do you know how close I came that night to telling you that I was in love with you? No? Well, I can assure you, it was a close call. How I stopped the words spilling out as we came together I really don't know. Of course, I'd known for a while how I felt, but that night it nearly all came spilling out. I'm sorry, Bella, so sorry for not being man enough to admit my feelings for you. If you knew how badly I regret my cowardice, you'd understand I think.

"The two of us being here like this may never have happened if I'd just had the courage to say those three little words to you back then. Please, Bella, come back to me; please come back to me so that we can have the talk like we agreed. I know it won't be easy for you to forgive me, but I hope you can because I really don't know how to live without you. Just come back to me, Bella, please, I'll do whatever it takes to win you back. Okay, so I'll shut up for now, I need to get some sleep so that I can be here and strong for you tomorrow. Goodnight, my love. I love you more than you'll ever know."

Getting as comfy as I could, I settled down to sleep. I was dog tired and soon my eyes were closing and I was drifting. Then I felt something and quickly sat back upright. Was I imagining it? Was it wishful thinking?

I could have sworn I felt her squeeze my hand.

**So, am I forgiven for the last cliffy?**

**Let me know what you think as usual.**

**Until next time...and don't forget to have a look at Life is so Unfair, especially if you want something a bit lighter.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Hello and welcome to all new readers, glad you could join us for the ride. Thank you to all who read and review. It means the world, it really does.**

**So, we're finally into the month in which we all get to see Breaking Dawn. Even if the 'thrusting' has gone, I'm still excited and have my tickets booked for the midnight showing on opening night. **

**Dollybigmomma rocks as Beta. Her magic fingers make sense of my drivel.**

**Chapter 24**

**Edward**

I must have been mistaken, no, more like desperate for her to come back to me. After an hour sat within six inches of her lovely face looking for any signs of movement, a flicker of her eyelids, or another squeeze from her tiny hand in mine, anything, I finally gave up and settled back down for the night. My hands never left hers, though. No way was I going to let her come around and not be touching her.

When I'd called in the on-duty medic, they had carried out a series of tests; eye responses, pulse rate, and the like. Once done, they assured me that there was no change, so it really must have been my imagination. That sucked.

I slept okay, considering I had spent every night since I had brought her back in an upright chair. Yes, it was an easy chair, but it didn't recline, and even though I did sleep, I did so sitting up. I was thankful for the sleeping bag since the nights were so cold, and I mean _freezing_. I never really undressed to sleep; I just spent all day and night in comfy sweats, a t-shirt, and a faithful old hoodie for when the temperature dropped. One night I stupidly forget the weather and casually wandered out to the toilet tents. Big mistake, as it was fucking freezing, howling a gale. I would swear my nuts were frozen solid to my body. Good job they weren't required these days. My dulled brain considered if having one's balls frozen would impact the ability to procreate in the future.

I started to come around and realized that her hand was no longer in mine. I sat up abruptly, wondering who the fuck had moved it, or if I had mistakenly let her go as I slept. As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, I saw her; she was sitting up. Bella was fucking sitting up and looking at me like I was the sun, moon, and stars.

"Bella, what...how long have you...I mean why didn't you wake me? Why didn't someone wake me?"

"Shush, Edward, it's still early. I told them to leave you alone. Angela said you haven't slept much so I decided you needed to rest."

I took her hand back in mine and stared at it while stroking her palm, all of a sudden now at a loss for words. She didn't protest, so I saw that as progress. Then I internally argued that maybe she was still too weak to protest, so I dared to look at her to see if I could gauge her reaction.

"How do you feel?" I asked staring into her eyes.

"Like I have a thousand tiny men inside my head with jackhammers, other than that, fine really. What about you?"

"Me? Why are you asking about me? I'm not the one who was shot in the head. And don't use the word fine. You're so obviously not fine, Isabella Swan."

"Someone's grouchy this morning, so I guess a thank you is in order. Thank you, Edward, for everything. For coming here to find me, for rescuing me, and for sitting by my bed until I regained consciousness. It means a lot you know, to know you've been here all the time."

"Where else would I be?" I said quietly still rubbing her palm with my thumb.

The curtain was swept aside and a nurse came in and started taking Bella's obs. I got up to leave, but I stopped when Bella pleaded quietly, "Edward, please don't leave, please stay."

My heart didn't know whether to stop or race. I turned to face her slowly and smiled.

"I'm just going to grab a quick shower while they're busy with you. I'll be back in a few minutes, I promise."

I grinned like a madman all the way to the shower block. I was done today in less time than usual and there was a spring in my step as I returned to my Bella. Today, I felt different, I felt alive again.

Angela was sat talking quietly to Bella when I returned. I nodded towards her, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. I sat back down in my easy chair and leaned over and took Bella's hand in mine once more.

"So, Edward, Bella seems good. All her obs are normal and apart from her headache, which is to be expected, I'm really pleased with how she's woken up. Now, she has to stay here for a few more days and rest, and we'll do some physical therapy with her once her headaches go. I don't want her to get overtired at this point and under no circumstances is there to be any stress. Are we clear on that? Stress could lead to more pressure on the brain and it could be disastrous. So I'd like you both to promise me no heavy conversations or arguing, are we clear?"

I eagerly nodded in agreement. I didn't want to be the cause of any more stress for Bella. She, however, was gnawing on her bottom lip, so I knew she wanted to ask something. Consequently, the sight of her lip's actions went straight to my balls and there was my answer to last nights' question about if frozen balls could adversely affect your manhood. Not a chance...

"Angela, Edward and I need to talk; we'd planned to have a chat when we next saw each other. Do we have to wait?"

"I'd prefer you did, at least for a couple of days. Let me monitor you for the next day or so and we'll see then."

"Bella, we can wait. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"I know, Edward, but it'll just be so much more awkward if you're here and we don't have the talk. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yeah, but surely another day isn't going to hurt?"

"Okay, I'll leave you two for now. Bella, get some rest. I mean it."

"Yes, doc."

I smiled at Angela as she left us and when I looked back at Bella, I could see for myself how tired she really was.

"You look tired, love. Go back to sleep, and when you wake up, I'll get you something to eat. I'll bet you're starving."

"Mmm, food sounds good. I can't believe I'm so tired after all the sleeping I've just done."

"It wasn't really sleeping, Bella. You need to sleep and rest up. I'll be right here when you wake up. I promise I won't even let go of your hand."

The sight of her snuggling down and making herself more comfy eased my worries a little. Her eyes started to close and I knew she soon would be out cold. I wondered how long she would sleep this time and I wondered how she would feel when she woke up.

I must have dozed off again myself, but for how long I didn't know. Maybe an hour or so I would guess. The smell of something delicious woke me up and I saw my favorite chef, Stefan, stood by Bella's bed carrying a large tray with not one but two plates of food on it.

"Ah, good morning, Stefan, something smells good today. What do you have for us?"

"Good morning, Mr. C. Well, the doctor ordered some scrambled eggs for our patient here and fresh orange juice. For you, Sir, I have a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, mushrooms, tomatoes, and fried bread. I'll bring a thermos of hot coffee back when I come to collect the tray."

Bella's eyes flickered open and she looked between us questioningly.

"Breakfast is served, love. Do you need me to help you sit up a bit?"

"Yes, please, it smells divine."

I took the tray off the young chef and he took his leave, promising to come back with our thermos of coffee soon. Situating myself next to her on the bed, I took the lids off the two plates. Mine looked great, Bella's less so with just a blob of scrambled eggs in the middle of her plate.

I arranged her pillows so that she was more comfortable and passed her the plate and a fork.

"How come you get all that when I'm the patient?" she moaned.

"Because I've been their best customer since we got back. I think Stefan has enjoyed experimenting on me. He's a very good chef. I may have to consider hiring him for the office," I said half- jokingly.

We ate in relative silence. Every so often, I glanced at her to see how she was doing. Her scrambled eggs didn't last long. When I asked her how she felt, she said she was still hungry and batted her eyelids at me before pinching a rasher of bacon and a sausage from my plate. It was so wonderful to see that I did not protest, but instead I rolled my eyes like she would expect. How could I protest anything she did when only yesterday I did not know if she would ever come back to me?

"Sorry, but I couldn't resist. That bacon is yummy. Do you think they'll let me have some tomorrow?"

"If you keep this down and there are no adverse effects, then I can see no reason why not, but Bella, I'm guessing after a head trauma like yours and surgery, you need to build up your appetite slowly. There must be a reason why Angela ordered you only eggs. We'll ask her when she comes back, don't worry."

When the coffee arrived, I was more than ready to drink the lot. Bella declined a cup anyway, opting instead to stick to water and fruit juice.

"Edward, I need to ask you about Riley Biers."

"No, you don't, it can wait like our talk. What else would you like to talk about? Do you want to see Bill, or Tariq? I'm sure Angela would let them in for few minutes and I could always wait outside."

"Why would you leave? I'd like to see Bill, but I want you to stay, Edward, please."

"No worries, shall I go get him now or a bit later?"

"Later," she said sleepily and soon she had dozed off again.

Stefan grinned like a child on Christmas morning when he saw two cleared plates. He took them away quietly, leaving with me a menu for later. I sat pondering the choices while Bella slept. I ordered braised steak with sautéed potatoes and seasonal veggies for myself. For Bella, I ordered steamed fish with rice. She always used to choose fish over meat when we ate out, and in view of her condition, it would be not too heavy for her stomach. I hoped she would be happy with my choices.

Angela came back in before Bella woke up, so I took the opportunity to ask some questions.

"How is she really?"

"She's better than I had hoped, actually."

"Really?"

"Yes, really, and did I hear right that she pinched some of your breakfast?"

"She did, she said she was still hungry."

"Has she mentioned feeling nauseous? Has she complained about blurred vision or the headache getting worse?"

"She never said anything, but I noticed she's talkative and then she just seems to fade out and sleep. Is that normal?"

"Perfectly, it's her body's way of dealing with everything, telling her it needs to rest. She'll probably sleep on and off for a couple of days like that. I won't release her whilst she's still doing that. You being here is doing her good, too, Edward. See how she holds your hand now? She isn't letting you go."

I grinned, happy that she had noticed that. "I don't want her to."

"I know, just remember, though, no added stress. Try to get her to not talk about the kidnapping yet or Riley Biers, or your relationship. All those are no-goes until I give you the green light. Okay?"

"If you say so, doc."

When Bella woke again, she didn't sit up and I was immediately worried.

"Bella, do you need me to get Angela?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"You're staying laid down; you sat up on your own earlier."

"I was kind of hoping you'd come a bit closer if I stayed down here and then I could get a proper look at you."

"What do you mean a proper look? Can't you see me properly?"

"Of course I can, silly, I was just kind of hoping you'd come a bit closer. I'd like to see your face properly, see if I remember it rightly."

I slowly moved forward from my seat to where her head lay. She was grinning, a bit like me I suppose. She winced a bit and I frowned as she turned fully onto her side to bring herself even closer.

"Yup, I guess I remember correctly, you are pretty scrummy. Did I kiss you out there? I seem to recall I did."

"You did, and I kissed you right back. You appear to have perfect recall. You're the scrummy one by the way. Even with an inch-thick bandage around your head, I still fancy you like mad."

"I fancy you, too, but you know that because I'm guessing you were able to read my lips the day I left."

"I did, and we're not going to talk about this. Doctor's orders, remember?"

"Okay, but Edward, can I just say...I mean, I wanted to say that I love you."

"I know, Bella, believe me I know," I sighed and continued, "And Bella, I love you, too."

"Good, don't go anywhere while I'm sleeping, will you."

Her eyes were closed again before I could reassure her that I was going nowhere. When she woke up next time, I was going to give her back my letter; it had obviously been a great source of comfort to her before the kidnapping. I wanted her to have it back. Bill was going to come in for ten minutes next time she was awake. He had been delighted when Angela told him that Bella was conscious.

Bill's visit was short, but she seemed to enjoy seeing him. They had obviously become close during their ordeal and I couldn't help but feel sort of jealous. I hated it, though. I was glad she'd had someone who was kind to her, someone who cared for her. If I or someone in my family couldn't do it, I guess Bill would be next best. When she talked about them sleeping curled up together, I felt my hands close up into fists. What the fuck? Then quite naturally, they talked about how cold they had been and how, without each other's body warmth to keep from freezing to death, things might have gone differently.

It was quiet now. Bella was sleeping and I had time on my hands. There was no real reason for me to stay in here overnight now, and god only knew I could do with a decent nights' sleep in a horizontal position. I would mention it when she woke up. She had to be sick of the sight of me by now. The elephant in the room was also beginning to tell. We really did need to have our talk.

"Hey, Edward, where did you phase out to?" she asked bringing me back from my daze.

"Nowhere, just thinking, that's all. Why?"

"You were pretty out of it. I spoke to you a few times without response. Do we need to swap places here?" she laughed.

"Bella, do you mind if I go back to where I've been sleeping tonight? I really need to get some proper rest. I'm no good to anyone like this." The look of sheer panic in her eyes made me feels horrible. "I don't have to…I mean, only if it's okay with you."

"You want to leave me?"

"No, I just need to rest properly, and now that you're awake, there's no need for me to be here around the clock, unless you just want me to."

"Well, I do, you can sleep on here with me. I don't think I'm ready to be on my own, Edward. Please stay."

I felt really bad now, she sounded so lost. What a prat I was, of course she was still scared.

"Okay, I'll stay, but in the chair. I'm not taking over your bed, and Angela said no stress, remember?"

"But I want you to sleep with me. I need that, and I can think of a few ways to relieve my stress," her eyebrows wiggled, bloody Emmett, teaching her those things.

"Oh, shut up, Swan, or I'll call the doc in to sedate you. See, even when you're an invalid, you know how to cause trouble with a capital 'T.'"

We laughed together, but as the night drew in, she pulled me closer and closer.

"Please, Edward, you can stay in your sleeping bag if you insist, but I'd really like for you to come up here on the bed with me and snuggle around me; I want to feel you close to me so that I know you're here. Please?"

How the fuck could I refuse her? Witch that she was, her spells worked me over good and proper and I found myself climbing onto her bed and into my sleeping bag. She settled herself in front of me, snuggling her lovely backside into my groin. Jesus, if she didn't stop wiggling, she was going to get the surprise of her life when little, or not so little, Edward made an appearance against her. I swallowed hard and tried not to think about how our bodies were positioned.

She sighed and pushed herself closer and I wondered if I should reprimand her. Then she giggled like a twelve year old girl and I was done for; she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

"Isabella Swan, stop that right now or I'll go back to my chair, I swear."

I kissed her gently on her ear, or the part of her ear that was not bandaged up.

"Sorry, Edward, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'll go to sleep now like a good little girl. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Bella, and by the way, you don't make me uncomfortable; you make me want to do things I'm not supposed to want to do until after we talk. Now go to sleep."

She must have dropped off because for one, she was relatively still, and two, she was quiet. I fell asleep, too, getting the first decent proper sleep I'd had for a while.

Someone touching my nose and eyelids woke me up. I remembered not to move too suddenly, lest we both ended up on the floor. When I opened my eyes, she was close, really close, and I realized she was kissing me, tiny feather-like kisses on my lips, the tip of my nose, my cheeks, my eyes, everywhere. It felt wonderful and I wondered how long I could lay here and pretend to be asleep.

"I know you're awake, so cut the pretending, Cullen," she added moments later.

"Spoilsport, I was enjoying that. Don't stop just because I'm awake," I said smugly.

She didn't stop, either, and soon her kisses turned into something much more than feather-light drops all over my face. My hands automatically came up to caress her face as our lips joined in a passionate and searing kiss that I could feel all the way to my toes. Our breathing hiked right up and I was thankful at this point that Bella was detached from all the monitoring equipment yesterday. Geez, the medics would be having a field day right now because her heartbeat was definitely spiking.

Someone clearing their throat at the end of the bed made us pull apart.

"What did I tell you two the other day about stress levels?" Angela said trying her best not to laugh at us.

I scrambled off the bed and plunked down in the chair. Shit, busted again. Bella's face was a delicate shade of the most luscious pink and I was sure mine wasn't much different.

"Um...sorry, doc. Guess we got carried away a bit saying good morning," I added trying to sound casual.

"Edward Cullen, did you sleep on my patient's bed all night? Christ, man, the bed is barely wide enough for one, let alone two."

"We managed perfectly fine, thank you, Angela," Bella stated clearly, smiling at me.

She held out her hand for mine. I grinned like a Cheshire cat that got the cream as I took hers in mine. "We sure did."

"Someone bring me a bucket, please. So, Ms. Swan, how are the headaches?"

"Gone, at least I think they have. I haven't had any meds since yesterday tea time and I can't feel anything now."

"Good; Edward, can you give us five minutes?"

Reluctant to let Bella go, I moved slowly and dropped a small peck on her palm. I think a cold shower was called for this morning if I was going to get through the day.

I was back ten minutes later, freshly showered and changed, this time into casual jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. To my surprise, Bella was sat in my chair. Angela was nowhere to be found.

"So, Cullen, I'm up."

"Yeah, I can see that. So, how do you feel being up?"

"Fan-fucking-tastic, so how do you fancy taking me for a shower? I feel kind of grubby and would love to be clean and get dressed properly. So, you up for that, eh?"

My Adam's apple bobbed about nervously. Fuck, did she really just ask me that?

"Um...um...I guess I could walk you there, but will you be okay inside on your own if I wait outside?"

"Cullen, are you scared of seeing me naked? You've seen it all before if I remember correctly. Don't worry, Edward, I'm just teasing."

She got up slowly, holding onto me as we made our way out of the hospital tent and towards the hospital shower block. My arm wrapped around her waist felt good, right. It was where I belong.

A nudge in my side made me realize once again she had been speaking and I had not heard her.

"Are you sure you're okay, Edward? That's more than once now you've done that to me."

"I'm just a little distracted; nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about. So, what's the plan for today? What did the doc say?"

"If I'm okay after my shower, she's going to remove the bandage and see about me washing my hair. She gave me this," she held up a bright yellow shower cap, "Attractive isn't it? So if I have no dizzy spells and I feel okay, she's going to give me a workout. Treadmill, I think, and some kind of balance test. She said she'll discharge me if it all goes well."

"That's great news, love. So, let's get to it."

"Coming to scrub my back, big boy?" she said over her shoulder as she walked tentatively into the shower tent on her own. I rolled my eyes again and tried to pretend that I hadn't just gotten a semi.

I made her leave the flap to her particular shower open, not so that I could see her naked, but so I could make sure she didn't fall. Standing outside the shower block while my girl was inside naked made me feel a little like a dirty old man loitering around a girls' locker room.

"Edward, I'm half decent, can you come in here please and help me into this top? I can't get it over this damned bandage," she called out to me.

With a deep breath, I walked slowly inside the tent. She had failed to tell me that she didn't have her jeans on, either. She was stood there in just a lace bra and a tiny pair of panties, gnawing on her lip. The little temptress, she had done this on purpose, she knew what her biting her lip like that did to me. I had shown her in graphic detail once or twice before. I guess she had forgotten. Yeah, right…

"Swan, you're a very naughty girl," I said looking at her eyes, but all the while walking slowly forward, trying my damned hardest not to look anywhere else. All I could see was lust in her eyes. It wasn't helping me one iota. "Please, Bella, is this not hard enough without you trying something like this? I'm only a man after all; I can only take so much. God, you're beautiful, even with that ridiculous bandage on your head. Can I kiss you?"

Her answer was not given verbally; she just walked up to me and put her arms round my neck. The clothes she held in her hand fell to the floor as our lips finally met.

**Okay, so she's fine and tempting the lovely Edward to no end. They obviously still need to have their talk, and then there's Riley still to be dealt with. All coming up, folks...**

**Let me know what you think as usual. All constructive reviews are appreciated.**

**Until next time…**


	25. Chapter 25

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Chapter 25**

**BELLA**

My memory just didn't do this justice.

Edward's lips were on mine and I couldn't get enough of him. Our kiss was long and passionate, but gentle and full of love and promise. I needed to be closer to him and ran my hands up and under his t-shirt. His back was strong and defined and when I moved my hand around to the front, all my memories assaulted me; his chest hair, oh, god, and his happy trail. Suddenly, he stopped the kiss and moved me away from him, his hands now on either side holding the tops of my arms.

"I'm not going to fuck you, Bella, not here, not like this. I promised myself that if I got you back alive, I was going to do this properly and I am. We need to talk before there's anything more physical between us. So once you get the all clear, we'll go home and deal with everything like we said we would. Okay?"

His words stung and I could feel the tears spring into my eyes. The tears did not come, though, because I knew he was right, but he felt so good, and when we kissed, everything else just disappeared. I still felt rejected, however. I did not put myself in this situation ever and to be rejected like this was, well, embarrassing. His eyes searched mine for clues and I was tempted to run. The only thing stopping me was that I was half naked and not well enough to run anywhere on my own just yet. I guessed I would have to suck it up.

"I suppose so," I told him looking down at my feet.

Turning from him, I struggled into my pants and then realized that I still needed his help with my sweater. He came willingly when he saw my predicament. Like the gent he was, he held open the neck wide while I manoeuvred my way in.

"Hey, please don't be upset with me. I'm trying to do the right thing here for once in my life. I want you, Bella, don't ever doubt that, but I want us more. I need us to be okay and that talk we said we'd have is more important to me right now than sex. Please try to understand, love. I made a right mess of this whole thing for four years; please don't let me mess it up again."

He sounded so sincere and once again, I knew he was right. To let him know I understood, I walked back into his waiting arms and rested my head on his chest.

"Thank you, for believing in me and having faith in us. I really do want us, Bella, all of it," he said quietly and I knew I wanted it, too.

When he leant his forehead against mine, I gave in, resenting him stopping, but deep down I knew he was right. It was just that I wanted him so desperately and I wanted him to want me that way, too. Of course, I knew he did, the ever-present bulge in his jeans confirmed that. He was just better at controlling himself than me.

Slowly, I moved away and finished dressing like I should have before I called him in. When I was ready, I felt a little light-headed. I didn't know if it was from all the exertions so far today or from a lack of food. I swayed a little and grabbed a hold of him to prevent me going down and doing myself yet another mischief.

"Bella, love, are you okay? Do you want me to get Angela?" he sounded petrified and I knew I needed to put his mind at ease.

"Edward, I'm okay, a little light-headed, but nothing else. I think all the exertions have been a little too much too soon. Will you come back to the hospital tent with me?"

"Of course, why would you even ask?"

"It's just that you said now that I was okay, you need not stay so close, but I'd like you to if that's okay?"

"Hey, there's nowhere else I'd rather be. Remember that, please, for future reference. If you need me nearby, I'm there."

When he took my hand in his, I immediately felt one hundred percent better. All the fuzziness in my head disappeared and I could not stop a wry smile from crossing my face.

He looked puzzled when he saw me smiling, but he did not say anything. We walked slowly back to the hospital tent in silence. Being together was enough for both of us, for now at least.

I sat in his chair and he perched on my bed. His hand never left mine and I liked it. I wanted to talk to him today about Riley Biers, but I knew he would try to put me off. I was ready, though. I was okay now, I needed to deal with the Riley issue head on before it fucked with my mind any more.

"Edward, can we talk seriously for a few minutes? I promise it's not about us."

"Okay," he sounded worried.

Taking a deep breath, I dove in feet first. "So, I was kind of wondering where Riley Biers is and I wondered if I could see him. I have a few things I want to say to him first-hand."

A loud gasp came from poor Edward's mouth as he heard my question.

"He's not going anywhere, don't you worry your pretty little head about him. I'll deal with him when the time is right, don't you worry, love. You're not going within a mile of where he is so don't even ask."

"If he's still on base, Edward, it's under a mile already. I need to do this. Thank you for wanting to protect me, but this is something I have to do for me. I need to see the pitiful piece of scum just once again and have my say. I want to see him squirm when he sees that I've survived. You can be with me if you like, but you have to let me do the talking and you have to promise me that you'll hold your temper, no matter what he says. Can you do that for me?"

"You aren't seeing him yet, Bella. You're not up to a slanging match with the likes of him. If you think that this is what you need to get some closure, fine, and yes I will come with you, but not yet. Angela said you have to rebuild your strength, and look what happened after you took a shower on your own. I'll not risk your health, Bella. Now that I've got you back, I will not risk anything happening to you again. You understand why I can't let you put yourself at risk don't you?"

Wringing my hands on my lap and keeping my head down, I nodded. I heard as well as felt him scuttle closer. When his hand gently lifted my chin so that I was looking right into his eyes, I could see the emotion right there. I wondered for a fleeting moment how I never saw the love there before. I knew I wasn't looking for love, wanting only to see the bad in him for hurting me, and yes, he did hurt me, but if I had only taken the time and trouble to look at him; well, we might not be where we were today.

"Hey, don't you dare feel anything but glad to be alive, glad to be here with me right now getting better. Do you understand me?"

"I know. I'm sorry for making you worry. It's just that I want to make Riley fucking Biers suffer like Bill and I did. In fact, when you let me speak to him, I'd like Bill to be there, too."

"Oh, I think that can be arranged. Now, I think you've been up for long enough, how about some proper rest so that when Angela comes back later to start your physio, you're up to it?"

He pulled me up and quickly swapped places with me. I did feel tired, but I was not going to tell him that. I didn't want him fussing over me any more than he was already.

"Will you come up here and lay with me?" I ask him quietly; almost afraid he would say no.

He looked so torn when my eyes eventually plucked up enough courage to meet his. The love was still twinkling in there, but now I could see pain and confusion, too, and he looked hurt and I didn't want that. "You don't have to, Edward, it's just that I feel safer with your arms wrapped around me and I kind of like it when we're that close. It eases my mind, a lot."

"Bella, I love you, please don't ever doubt that. I know we've yet to talk about the last few years, but please know it'll happen soon, I promise. Now, I'd love to lay with you, but after getting caught once already, do you think it's wise?" he asked laughing.

"I don't care who sees or who comments, Edward, I just need you with me."

I moved over, making room for him. We did not get under the covers and were both still fully clothed, but somehow it felt more intimate than if we were both naked. Well, I could always tell myself that couldn't I?

He snuggled in behind me and wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me even closer. I felt totally at peace when I felt his warm breath on the back of my neck and I about swooned when I felt his lips place gentle kisses just under my ear.

"Go to sleep, sweet girl, I'll still be here when you wake up. I love you, Bella; always have, always will."

I could not resist whispering back to him, "I love you, too, Edward, forever." I pushed myself closer to him feeling content as the darkness took over.

**Okay, so I know it's short, but** **that's because the next one contains the confrontation with Riley and to add it here would have been wrong.**

**Show me the lurve and I'll show you Riley getting his comeuppance sooner rather than later.**

**Also, head on over to my other story, Life Is So Unfair. Dollybigmomma has been working her fingers to the bone helping me get it beta'd and reposted, so please leave me a review and let me and Dolly know how we're doing!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Dollybigmomma rocks as beta. She and I thank you all for reading and showing your continued support for this story.**

**SM owns all that is Twilight, lucky bitch.**

**Chapter 26**

**EDWARD**

As my Bella slept peacefully in my arms, I replayed a little of what had happened. I didn't know if I was relieved or a little bit pissed off that she actually listened to me about us not having sex. I knew my dick was well pissed with me right now, but I was sure when this shit was all over, he would be satisfied enough to forgive me for not giving in to his desires right now.

She was a tease that was for sure. When I had walked back into that shower tent and saw her there half naked, all rational thoughts evaporated from my sex-starved brain. For four long years, I had yearned to see her naked before me like that. Shit, I had dreamt of it nearly every night for the first year. I cringed now a little remembering how on many occasions, I had woken up to a thoroughly wet and sticky bed. I did not seem to have any control over my dick in my sleep and night after night, he enjoyed endless hot steamy sex with the lovely Bella Swan.

I moved away from her slightly when I felt him stirring again. I did not want to give her any more ammunition than she had already. I kept my arms wrapped around her, though; she was not going anywhere. I needed her close just to survive, especially now after I had finally gotten her back.

Bella's first physio went well. She ached a bit afterwards, and that night she slept like a baby, not moving an inch in my arms. I was relieved that I did not have to fight her continued advances and sexual innuendos. No, that night her delicious bottom stayed still instead of writhing and pushing into my achingly-hard penis.

I had been able to put Bella off confronting Riley for three whole days. Today she was being discharged from the hospital and she was moving back in with Angela. If all went to plan, we would be heading home in two days' time. We had had words over her wanting to stay and finish her story. Fuck that, I had argued, and she had shouted and balled back at me. I shouted, well, I raised my voice back, telling her she had gotten enough material to run a story every week for a year. She gave in sulkily, flipping me the bird as she walked away. I was going to miss our nights together. I had gotten used to sleeping with her again. Her scent wrapped around me every night and morning and made me feel whole again. Something I was determined to make permanent in my life.

Unbeknownst to Bella, Angela had given me the green light for our talk and for Bella to see Riley Biers. Ryan had managed with a little underhand jiggery and pokery to keep the slimy bastard under house arrest. Fortunate for us, as the base was still on a pretty high status of alert and the top bods were otherwise occupied. Bill was also chomping at the bit wanting to get his hands round Riley's neck. He had laughed when I told him to get in line. If I managed to keep my hands off Biers it would be a miracle. Anyone even thinking of hurting my girl was on dodgy ground as far as I was concerned.

Emmett had arranged our flight back home and now all that was left before we set off was Bella moving back in with Dr. Webber and the confrontation. I had spoken to Emmett almost daily since his return home. He had arranged for Bella to speak to my parents as well as Charlie who was just about persuaded she was okay and not to find his own way to Afghanistan. It brought a tear to my eye when I stood at her side and listened to her side of the conversation with her father. I was here searching for her and it very nearly killed me. God knows what it did to that poor man back in Forks, Washington.

"Okay Edward, well, she's almost good as new. Her stitches will dissolve by themselves when they're ready and her headaches are completely gone. Her physio has gone well, too, no problems that we could detect with coordination or balance. So, as a precaution only, I would request no strenuous exercise." I was sure she gave me 'the look' when she said that. Was she implying what I thought she was implying? "Oh, and because I can't bear to break you two apart, I've arrange for you to have my quarters until you leave. I'll bunk in with another colleague. All I ask is that you don't try to both sleep in one bed. Those beds are not meant for more than one person. Shove them together if you must, but I do not want to hear about broken bunks in my quarters after you two have gone home. Is that understood?"

I felt like a naughty school boy being told off. I could not help a huge smile crossing my face, though. I had been worried about our nights apart and now I wouldn't have to be. Bella looked as pleased as me, a shy smile on her lovely face.

"Thank you, Angela, it means a lot to both of us, doesn't it, Bella?"

I opened my arms and she walked into them, nodding her head slowly. I dropped a small kiss on the top of her head as my arms closed around her. Angela walked away mumbling to herself.

"So, Swan, shall we get you over to our more relaxed quarters? You did hear what Angela said about the beds didn't you?"

"Ha, ha, very funny, Cullen. I'll be okay as long as we're close. When we're there, can we look at putting the beds closer?"

"Of course, if that's what you need."

"What I need is you."

"Same here, we'll be going home soon and then we can have our talk somewhere quiet, more relaxed, and with beds that cater for two. How does that sound?"

"So, after our talk, are you suggesting we'll be sleeping together?"

"I'm not suggesting anything, Bella, but making an observation that the tools will be at our disposal." The conversation was getting ridiculous and I needed to change it now.

"Come on then, let's go get settled in."

We walked hand in hand across the base camp. A few soldiers stopped to say hello and as we approached the living quarters, Bill came into sight.

He walked briskly toward us with a welcoming smile on his face.

"Bella, it's so good to see you up and about. Edward's taking good care of you I see."

"Bill, good to see you, too, how are you?" she asked him.

"I'm great, love, all the better for seeing you up and around I can tell you. So tell me, when are we going to rip Riley Biers a new one?"

She looked at me then, for guidance I guessed, on how best to answer Bill's question. With a small squeeze of her hand, I answered Bill's question.

"How about after we're settled into our new pad? Around five sound okay with you, Bill?"

He nods enthusiastically. "I can't wait." He continued on his way, letting Bella and I continue on ours.

I held the flap to Angela's tent up so she could walk in before me, ever the gentleman.

"Welcome home, Bella," I said wrapping her up in my arms and nuzzling into her neck from behind. She smelled so good. I knew it was not really home, but it was the best we were going to get for a day or so. "I'm so fucking relieved to have you here with me today, I can't even tell you. I was so worried, baby. First, when you were missing, then when you were shot. Fuck, I thought my life was over. Please promise me you'll never again volunteer to go somewhere like this. Promise me, Bella, if you truly love me like you say, you'll promise me this."

She pulled back from me a little and turned to look into my eyes. All I could see was love. Yes, at the moment there were tears also, but love was there clear as day.

"Edward, I didn't come here to hurt you, I came here to complete me. Yes, I needed to be away from you and from the situation we were in, but I never meant to hurt you. I know now it did, though, and for that I apologize. However, if at some point in the future another opportunity arises to further my career, then I'll consider it on its merits at that time, and if we're together, then as my partner, I'll discuss it with you, too. That, Mr. Cullen, is the best I can promise at this moment in time. Is that acceptable?"

Pulling her back towards me, I muttered, "I suppose so."

The beds looked ridiculous shoved together, but she wouldn't let me move them back. If either one of us got too close to the edge, they would separate and one of us would be dumped onto the floor. The atmosphere between us was lighter than it had been since I had gotten her back. We both sat in the easy chairs and worked on our laptops, Bella typing away, I assumed adding something to her story.

At lunchtime, we wandered to the canteen tent and sat with the media personnel. Easy banter batted back and forth across the table. Bella's eyes lit up and they included her in their conversations. I sat quietly and listened to their chatter, content to just be here by her side.

Bill came a knocking at our private quarters all too soon for my liking, but Bella seemed keyed up and maybe it would be better to get it over with sooner rather than later. I was worried, though; she was still healing both physically and emotionally and even though she had repeatedly told me that this was what she wanted, I worried for her. I knew I could keep her safe if Biers tried anything. I would kill him with my bare hands. I was more worried about her emotional well-being after we got back home. I made a mental note to get her some counseling. I was sure the company had someone on retainer she could talk to.

We all walked silently to where Ryan Backhouse had asked us to meet him. He was there already and looked relaxed and he actually smiled as we approached.

"Edward, Bill," he said nodding to both of us. "Ms. Swan, it's a pleasure to see you up and around after your ordeal. I'm Ryan Backhouse."

Bella stuck her hand out and all of a sudden I was racked with the green monster as Ryan smiled even wider at my girl. Shit, they were only introducing themselves and I wanted to punch his lights out. He had been a great help to me in all this and now I wanted to hit him for smiling at her. Jesus, there really was no hope for me if our talk did not go the way I hoped.

"Now Bill, Edward, you know Mr. Biers is a bit of a twat. Sorry for cursing, Ms. Swan, but he is. He's got this holier-than-thou attitude and is threatening to have my job when we let him out. He doesn't know yet we've got Bella and Bill back and I'm guessing when you all walk in there, he'll come out fighting so watch your backs, okay?"

"Can we see him now?" Bella asked quietly.

Ryan simply nodded and led us over to the tent. He motioned for the two guards standing on sentry duty to let us pass.

The tent he was being kept in was moderate in size, situated in the warehouse part of the base, far away from prying eyes. Inside the tent was fairly bare, a chair and small table in the center, and a narrow cot off the right. Riley was lying on the bed with his legs up and his arms folded behind his head. He looked either asleep or deep in thought.

Bill coughed to get his attention. He sat up quickly, looking to see who it was and I instinctively situated myself in front of Bella. He was on his feet in seconds and approached us.

"Bill, thank god!" He moved closer to Bill with his arms outstretched, indicating he wanted to shake hands or a hug. Bill raised his hand towards Riley which surprised me. I didn't think he would be up for shaking this man's hand any time soon. I was right. He didn't shake his hand; he punched him hard right in the face. Riley's head rocked back and he stumbled a little.

"What the fuck?" he shouted as he regained his composure.

"Don't even try to bullshit us, Biers, you're finished in this industry, I guarantee you that!" Bill hissed at him menacingly.

I relaxed a little; one, because Bella had stayed behind me and I could feel her small hands on the base of my spine, and two, I was enjoying watching Bill make this bastard squirm.

"Bill, I don't know what he's told you," Biers nodded towards me, "But he's had it in for me ever since he and his man mountain of a brother got here. Accusing me of all sorts of stuff they were. I tried to tell them you and Bella were okay and undercover, but they made up some bullshit. I'm so glad you're here to clear my name."

"Shut the fuck up, Biers. Have you forgotten that you came in person to where we were held captive? Do you really think you can make me think I've lost my marbles? Think again, slime ball, you're going down and Bella and I have all the proof we need in the locals you terrorized into doing your dirty work for you. They've seen the light, Riley, and they're ready to spill their guts if they haven't already."

"Bella will tell you that it's all bullshit, Cullen. She knows I never did anything other than try to be her friend. Bill here had designs on her from the moment he arrived. I saw the way he looked at her, undressing her with his eyes. She seemed oblivious at first, but then they grew closer and I guess the inevitable happened."

I felt her move from behind me before I saw her. Her tiny hands were now clenched into fists at her sides as she moved into view at my side. She shrugged off my offer of a hand and I could feel her shaking with what I presumed was pure anger as she walked slowly forward.

Riley's face was a picture as he took in her presence. He obviously had not realized she was stood behind me and had heard everything. Not wanting to let her get too far away, I moved slowly forward but let her have her independence.

"Bella, oh, thank god," Riley said scurrying towards her. Bill moved in front of him and halted his progress. "Get out of my way, old man, your time with her is over. Cullen here will see to that." He really was delusional.

I now moved to Bella's side and checked her with my eyes, letting her know not to push this too far, at least for now and also that I was here for her.

"That sure is some interesting fuckery you're spouting. Like Bill said, have you forgotten the visits to the little outpost you held us at? Have you forgotten Tariq and all the others? You may have, Riley, but Bill and I sure haven't. Now Edward came here to find me, he wasn't going to leave any stone unturned until he achieved that. Scary when he puts his mind to something isn't he? I guess you didn't know that you don't fuck with something that belongs to the Cullen's. They have more money, more resources, more of everything than you could ever dream about and I guess in a way, I belong to them, too. Why, you ask? I work for them. I'm also best friends with their sister, and their parents sort of unofficially adopted me when I was ten. And probably most importantly, Edward and I, well, it's kind of hard to describe us, but know this for sure; he's mine and I'm his. Does that clear this all up for you, idiot?"

I was so fucking proud of her little speech I wanted to pick her up and run away with her right here and now. I felt like beating my chest like a gorilla. The grin on my face right now probably looked stupid, especially in view of the situation. Her elbow in my gut brought me back to reality. When I glanced at her, she rolled her eyes at me.

"So, Riley, are you going to fucking fess up why you did that to us? Or do we need to guess?" she asked moving closer to him.

With each step she took, I took one, too, and so did Bill. We had her covered, but I got the feeling she was quite capable of bringing him down on her own right now.

Riley squirmed and fidgeted in front of her, looking at his feet and mumbling incoherently.

"Speak up, man, don't be shy!" Bill shouted at Riley.

"Fuck you, old man! I saw the way you looked at her. She was never going to say yes to you. Even after she rejected me, you were never in with a shout. For days I watched you ogle her, hanging on her every word. It made me sick to my stomach seeing you like that, Bill. You're old enough to be her dad! She's a first class bitch anyway; miss high and mighty Swan, just like that fucking Dr. Webber, thinking they're better than us. Walking around the base all fancy, smelling good enough to eat and rejecting our advances. Women shouldn't be allowed in places like this, they only come here to tease us men!"

His rambling went on and on. He really was quite delusional. It was worrying. With every word, he dropped himself more and more into it. He admitted arranging for the base to be bombed, he admitted blackmailing the locals into doing his dirty work, and then he finally admitted to kidnapping Bella and Bill because she had rejected him. What surprised me even more than all of that was that he admitted to having raped Fatima, the local woman Bella had told me was being shunned, and then he was incensed when she ended up pregnant. What a complete bastard. I think it was that final bit of information that set Bella off.

She had been gone mere seconds when I realized that she had moved. I was still reeling from his confessions. Bella's raised voice brought me back.

"You fucking bastard, I'm going to make sure you don't have anything to rape any more women with, you sick fucking pervert. I'm going to make sure that you go away for a long time!"

She lunged at him with her arms raised directly in line with his face. Her right leg was raised and landed a direct blow into his meat and two veg. I cringed when I heard the crunch from her contact. Her hands, still balled into fists, pummeled his face. It was quite funny to watch, seeing this tiny little spitfire go all out and kick seven bells of shit out of a now very pathetic Riley Biers. Okay, so he was on his knees groaning from the kick so his defenses were weakened, but it was great. Blow after blow she landed, Emmett had taught her well. Biers' lips were split and his eyes were blackened before she slumped to the ground in front of him.

I was immediately at her side as Bill pulled Riley back out of the way. I pulled her into my arms as her body shook, racked with sobs.

"I'm here, Bella. I'm here and I've got you. Shush, baby, it's okay," I rocked with her half on and half off my knee.

Her sobs subsided eventually, and neither of us had noticed that Ryan and the guards had come in and taken Riley out. Apparently, they had been listening and heard everything he had confessed. Pulling us both up, I asked her if she wanted me to carry her back to our quarters. She let me and once we were there, I took care of her now bloody knuckles.

Bathing her hands slowly, I told her how proud I was of her and once we got home, I wanted her to talk to someone about this whole experience. She nodded, giving in much too soon for my liking. I hoped and prayed that she didn't retreat into her shell and shut down on me. I couldn't stand for that to happen.

Lying down on her bed, she rested quietly. Angela came in, asking me what had happened to Riley. Her eyebrow raised in astonishment when I motion toward a now-sleeping Bella.

"Really, she did all that to him? His face is a mess, a broken cheekbone, some serious damage to his eye socket, and I don't even know how to explain the damage to his scrotum. Wow, she's dangerous when she's mad isn't she?"

"She lost it completely when he admitted raping that local girl, she just flew at him. He got nothing he didn't deserve." I looked over at her proudly. "I've bathed her hands, but I'd like you to take a look at them when she wakes up if you don't mind."

"I'll come back later, Edward. You look like you could do with some rest, too. Why don't you crash for a bit while she's asleep, it'll do you both good," she said as she walked out.

She was actually right. I was knackered both physically and emotionally. I flopped down on the small cot at the side of my Bella. For a while I just stared at her, wondering if we would come out of this intact. I couldn't wait to get her home, sleep in a proper bed, feel clean again and dressed in something other than what I had been wearing for what seemed like forever. I wanted to see my parents and siblings and get back to work, back to normality. I wanted all that, but most of all, I wanted Bella and I to talk, really talk, cards on the table time.

It would be hard, especially for me. Here I had found myself being able to say things to her that I never dreamed I would be able to do. Maybe it was because I thought I had lost her, maybe I needed to realize that if I didn't want to lose her for good, I needed to open up to her, tell her how I really felt. I could do that. I mean here I had told her repeatedly that I loved her; now all I needed to do was spill my guts about everything, from meeting her to pushing her away. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and let sleep overtake me.

It was dark in the tent when I eventually woke. A glance at my watch told me it was almost nine o'clock. I sat up and glanced to my left where Bella should have been. Her cot was empty and she wasn't sat in the chair working on her laptop.

She was gone.

**Okay, so Riley is a little mentally disturbed. Sad fuck.**

**We're winding up now. So, where's Bella and what's happened to her now? Will these two be heading on home soon to finally have the talk? Will Edward be able to open up to her like he has here in Afghanistan? What are your thoughts? Are they both going to get their HEA?**

**Until next time...**


	27. Chapter 27

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Huge thanks to Dollybigmomma who makes this story worth reading.**

**Stephenie owns Twilight; me, the books, DVD's, and lots of Robtastic porn (kidding! I call all pics of Rob porn)**

**Thanks for all the reviews, and for those who just read, thank you, too!**

**Chapter 27**

**EDWARD**

A feeling of utter dread came over me. Fuck! Where the hell was she? The glorious hot and heavy dream I had been having now long forgotten, I was up and putting my boots on in seconds. When I said her name, there was no reply. I lit the lamps so I could see if she was still in the tent with me but maybe hurt somewhere. She wasn't anywhere in the tent. Double fuck!

I dashed outside calling her name. The base was quiet at this time of night and only a few people milled around. No one seemed to take much notice of me and my desperate need to find her.

The media tent was the nearest so I headed there. A couple of men I knew by sight were still busy on their laptops, but Bella wasn't there and neither was Bill. Both men shook their heads when I asked if they had seen her. I walked out wondering where I should look next.

Bill was heading in just as I came out.

"Edward? What's up, mate?" he asked sounding a little concerned.

"Have you seen Bella since we left Riley?" I demanded.

"No, last time I saw her she was in your arms on the floor of his quarters. Why?"

"I fell asleep on the bed with Bella and when I woke just now she was gone. I can't fucking lose her again, Bill, I just got her back for Christ sakes, it would kill me this time."

"She can't be far, Biers is too knocked about to be out of the hospital yet and if someone else had come for her, the base would know. Have you checked the hospital or Dr. Webber's quarters?"

"I'm going there now. Let me know if you see her. Or better still, tie her up and come find me." I walked away, heading now towards the hospital tent she had just been released from this morning.

**BELLA**

It was dark when I woke and that surprised me. I hadn't realized I was quite that tired. In the dim light, I looked over to where Edward lay on his small cot. He was close enough for me to touch, but I didn't want to wake him he looked so peaceful. Poor love, he had not left my side all the while I had been in the hospital and I knew for a fact that he hadn't been getting much sleep. The deep purple bags round his eyes told me that. I just lay and stared at him, wondering how I had gotten so lucky.

Even though we did have an awful lot to thrash out, and I intended to make him earn a relationship with me, I knew deep down that I was not going to throw away the best thing to happen in my life ever. I think if I was feeling magnanimous, I would accept some of the blame. I mean I didn't tell him how I felt all those years, either. There was no law saying the guy had to be the first one to declare themselves. I didn't ignore him, though, and flaunt other guys under his nose. I didn't avoid him at all costs until recent times. Yeah, he had some explaining to do, and some grovelling, but I was willing to listen. He was worth it and I knew now that he loved me just as much as I loved him. It would make for an interesting conversation when we got home.

My hand hurt like hell and in the dim light I could see that my knuckles were fucked up and swollen. Great, now more than my head hurt again. A small smile came to my face when I remembered Edward fussing over me earlier, bathing my hands in warm water, being ever so gentle. He'd kissed each of the knuckles with so much tenderness. God, he made my head spin with want.

We needed to get home soon so we could have the talk and get on with ridding ourselves of some of this sexual frustration. Whenever he was near, every single part of me throbbed in anticipation of him touching me, kissing me, let alone fucking me. Yup, even if the talk didn't go how I wanted, I needed to have a back-up plan in place so that I could seduce Edward anyway. Once we were home, there was no way on this fucking earth that I was not going to let him fuck my brains out.

I got up slowly, trying to be extra quiet. He really did need to sleep and I needed to go see Angela and get something done about my right hand. I headed on over to the hospital tent where I hoped I would find Angela.

A nurse pointed me in the right direction and I was glad to see she was still here.

"Hey, Angela, is it okay for me to come in?"

She looked up from the paperwork she was doing, "Hi, Bella, come on in and take a seat."

"So, I guess you know what happened earlier already. They didn't make you treat the sad fuck did they?"

"No, one of my colleagues did that. If they'd left it to me, he might have ended up worse off. So, how are your hands? Edward was freaking out earlier, afraid you'd broken something."

"He's asleep; I left him there and slipped out. He looked so peaceful, poor love; it's obvious he needs it. He talked to you already?"

"Yeah, I think you'd just dozed off and he was still awake after bathing your hands. So let me take a look." I showed her and she shook her head at me. "Isabella Swan, these hands look like those of a bare-knuckle fighter. How bad do they hurt?"

"A lot, they're throbbing like fuck actually. They feel like they're stiffening up, too. Can you give me some pain relief?"

"Sure, but I'd like to x-ray them both first if that's okay."

"Is that really necessary? I mean I'm sure it's just cosmetic, it looks worse than it is."

"Let's hope so; come on, follow me."

I reluctantly followed her out of one hospital tent and into another. Angela talked to the radiographer, explaining what she wanted done and I was positioned on a chair with both my hands placed on x-ray files on a bed. Angela and her colleague made themselves scarce after fitting me with a special apron. I'd laughed in their faces when they'd asked if there was any possibility that I could be pregnant. They obviously didn't know my whole tragic life story. Angela knew, though, and when I saw her smirk, I knew she wondered if Edward and I had been at it here on the base.

Back in the semi-private room Angela called her office, she looked at the x-rays.

"Okay, these look fine. No breaks, just severe bruising and now some swelling." She handed me some pills, "Take two of these every four hours for now, and then bathe your hands in warm water twice a day, morning and night. I'll give you some ice packs to keep on during the day; it should help reduce the swelling quicker. You also need to keep your movement going so do these exercises four times a day until you feel totally back to normal," she advised and handed me a pamphlet detailing hand exercises.

I was just looking through it when Edward came storming into the room. "Fucking hell, Bella, do you mean to give me a heart attack daily? Is it your intention to put me in an early grave?"

"What the fuck are you on about, Edward?"

"I woke up in the dark and you were gone, Bella! What was I supposed to think? I couldn't find you; can you imagine what was going through my head?"

"Edward, I'm neither an invalid nor a child. I'm quite capable of doing things on my own without a bodyguard. Don't get me wrong, I love your protection, but fucking hell, you were asleep. You looked so peaceful and I wanted you to get some rest. I only came here to see Angela about my hands. Oh, by the way, no broken bones, just bruising and swelling. Will you please try to chill? For me?"

He walked forward and gently took my hands between his, his thumb caressing the swollen knuckles tenderly. His eyes never left mine.

"I was just scared I'd lost you again and I panicked. I'm sorry for overreacting, but I can't lose you, Bella, not ever. I hope you realize you're stuck with me now?"

His eyes showed me all of his emotions; love, passion, you name it, it was there. I walked into his waiting arms and rested my head on his strong hard chest. His scent enveloped me and I immediately felt a whole lot better. His lips touched my still sore head gently in a small kiss.

"You'll never lose me, Edward, unless you want to. I'm sorry I made you feel scared. I didn't think if I'm being honest. You just looked so comfy sleeping that I wanted you to get some rest. Did you have a good sleep?"

"I did, thank you, how about you? How are your hands really? Are you still in pain?"

"I slept good, too, I always do when I know you're close. My hands are stiff, but the pain is gone for now. The miracle of Paracetamol, eh? Angela gave me some pills to take over the next few days."

"Angela, is she okay to fly out tomorrow? Emmett arranged us a flight back to the U.S. tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll do a couple more balance checks and take her blood pressure in the morning, but as far as I can see, she's okay to go home. Come see me in the morning, Bella, and bring your bodyguard with you this time. We don't want him tearing this place up any more than he has already."

Edward and I were heading towards the door when I had a thought.

"Hey, Angela, I forgot to ask, how is Riley?"

"Fuck, Bella, why do you care how he is?" Edward growled at my side.

"He's still alive and kicking unfortunately, Bella. His injuries are painful, but they're not life threatening, mores the pity. He'll be taken into custody as soon as we discharge him from here," Angela relayed.

Edward's grumbling prompted me to elbow him in the ribs.

"Ow, what the hell was that for? Am I supposed to be relieved you're asking about that lowlife?"

"No, I just wanted to see how he was. I really don't care, Edward, but I am responsible for his injuries."

"If you weren't, Bill or I would've been."

"Okay, you two take your bickering back to my tent, please. You're like an old married couple."

Back in the safe confines of Angela's tent, I sat in the chair and booted up my laptop. Pages of emails awaited my attention. I scanned though them and opened the ones from my dad and Alice. Dad was in New York eagerly awaiting my return and he said he was staying until he was convinced I was okay.

Great, that meant Edward and I wouldn't get to use my place for our talk and whatever followed. I silently hoped my dad allowed me out of his sight or our talk would be delayed yet again and I really didn't want that.

"Anything that can't wait?" Edward asked standing close to my side.

"Not really, Alice is planning a party for our return. Dad has moved into my place and is staying by the sound of it."

"Charlie's in New York?"

"Yup, great, eh? No privacy for me for a while. I hope your place is free because we're gonna need somewhere private for our talk. I really don't want to wait until Charlie decides to go back to Forks. It could be weeks, months even."

He visibly paled and shook his head. "No, we need to talk, clear the air once and for all. I want to move forward, Bella, and I think you do, too. How is he going to react to you staying out overnight, though?"

"You're confident aren't you?" I challenged him raising my eyebrows like Emmett had taught me.

"Not confident, just hopeful. I'm hoping I'm reading the signs correctly, hoping you telling me that you love me means you want us, too. Hoping that I can convince you what an idiot I've been in the past but have the very best of intentions. I love you, Bella, so much, and I just hope you'll allow me the opportunity to show you how much."

Tears formed in my eyes, but they did not fall. He gently kissed them away. "Come on; let's get some sleep, we've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

**So, they're heading home and both are eager to have the talk. Will Charlie interfere with their plans?**

**You know the drill...**


	28. Chapter 28

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**As we wind this story up, I would like to take the opportunity to say a massive THANK YOU to Dollybigmomma without whose help this story would not be as successful as it is. I would also like to thank all the readers, and hugs to all of those who review, too. **

**Don't rightly know how many chapters are left, but I would say maybe two or three at the most after this one. In the meantime, if you haven't been over there, I invite you to check out my other on-going story, Life Is So Unfair. Dolly has been working her magic on it and things are about to start getting good in that one!**

**Grateful thanks to SM who introduced me to these wonderful characters.**

**Chapter 28**

**BELLA**

I got the all clear from Angela after a gruelling fifteen minutes of step-ups, walking in a straight line, and riding on an exercise bike. When she finally proclaimed me fit and well enough to travel, Edward and I both breathed a sigh of relief. I would miss Angela, of course I would, but we needed to get out of here. Too many bad memories now clouded what would have been a wonderful experience for me. Glancing over at my hero, a smile crossed my face remembering when he had burst through the door at the outpost where we had been kept miles away. If there was a moment when I thought I might have fallen in love with him all over again, it was probably then.

"Come on, Swan, we've got a date with the U.S. Air Force," he said motioning me over to him.

Wrapping his arm casually around my shoulders, we headed back to the tent to pick up our bits and pieces. Our luggage had already been collected earlier on the off chance that I was given the all clear. My handbag and laptop were all I needed to pick up. Edward had his laptop and a small holdall carrying his favourite chef's treats for our journey as well. I rolled my eyes as his eyes lit up when he saw the food his new best buddy had prepared for him.

"I'm really going to have to try harder and persuade him to leave the forces and join us back at Cullen," he muttered mostly to himself.

I had a new weapon now; Edward's stomach and his love of good food. Now that bit of intel I would retain in case I needed it in the future.

We refuelled in Germany again, but this time we didn't even get off the plane; we were too wrapped up in each other, our hands entwined the whole time and our eyes never dropping from each other's.

Tired beyond belief but also relieved, we finally touched down on U.S. soil. I said a silent prayer, thanking God for Edward, home, family, and friends.

After a very short but formal debriefing, we were allowed to go home. Emmett had arranged for the company limo to pick us up. We were going back to our separate apartments and I guess he wanted to give us the chance to say our temporary goodbyes.

My phone rang the minute I turned it on. Charlie.

"Hi, Dad."

"Bella, where are you? Are you okay?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, Dad, I'm fine. We're on our way from the base now. I should be back in an hour or so, depending on the traffic."

"You should have let me come and get you."

"No, it wasn't necessary; Emmett arranged a car to pick us up. Look, Dad, I'll see you soon." I wanted to get back to Edward.

"Bella, I've been worried sick and you want to talk to me later?"

"Dad, we'll talk all you want when I get there, right now I'm in a car and have company and don't want to be rude. So I'll see you soon, love you," I said and hung up.

"He's just worried, Bella. His little girl has been gone a while and he didn't know if she was safe."

"I know; it's just that when we get there, you and I will..."

"We'll get our time, I promise," he added quickly cutting me off. "For now, be with your dad. I get the feeling he needs you more than I do right now. At least I've had you to myself for a while. It's his time for now. I'll be coming by to claim you again soon."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

He pulled me into his arms and held me tight. "I'm going to miss you like crazy," he whispered into my hair.

"Me, too, don't stay away too long, will you."

"I won't be able to."

"Good to know."

For once, the traffic was kind. Today I had been hoping we would be stuck for hours, giving me more precious time with the man I loved more than life itself. We seemed to glide through the roads and soon were only a few streets away from where I lived. I could feel the tension in the car rise. Neither of us wanted this to end, but what could we do? I needed to see my dad, Edward needed to see his family, and we both need to sleep.

Hmm, the thought of sleeping in a nice big soft bed, with smooth cotton sheets and a thick down duvet made me smile. My only regret was that I would be alone in that big bed when I would much rather be in there with Edward.

We had the driver pull up a little ways away from my building. I knew Charlie would be on the lookout for the limo and I wanted to say a proper goodbye without my dad watching.

"So, Mr Cullen, back home at last, safe and sound. Thank you, Edward, for not giving up, for coming for me, for everything really. I'm going to miss you being around twenty-four-seven, I've kind of gotten used to it. Kind of like it, too."

He lifted my chin which was resting on my chest, a little embarrassed after my speech. His eyes were full of love and tears, and I wanted to dive into them because I knew it would feel like home.

"Hey, I'd follow you to the ends of the earth if I had to. But please, promise me that you'll not go off on some wild adventure again without me. I had to come for you, Bella; I can't live in a world where you don't exist. I love you. Now go on up and see your dad, spend some quality time with him, and I'll call you later. We'll talk then, okay?"

Tears poured down my cheeks and bless him, he did his best to kiss them off, but they were flowing too fast.

"Stay with me, Edward? I don't want you to go. I need you like I need air to breathe."

"Not now, love, Charlie needs to see his little girl. Let him have the rest of today and tomorrow, too, and then we'll see how he feels about letting you out of his sight. I'll only be a phone call away, you know that. I'll ring you later and we can email and Skype, too. Do this for Charlie, love, we'll have plenty of time later, I promise."

Our kiss goodbye took my breath away and I never wanted it to end. Thinking about it, I could quite easily live the rest of my life in Edward's arms being kissed to within an inch of my life. There was nothing sexual in our goodbye kiss, it told of love, a promise to be kept, a deep, deep caring. An, "I'll see you again soon," an, "I'll miss you until we can do this again," a, "We have a future together." When we finally broke apart, neither of us spoke. I was not sure if either of us was capable.

The car pulled up to the front of my building and we got out slowly hand in hand. Edward was right; Charlie appeared about thirty second after we got out. I was pulled unceremoniously from Edward and wrapped in my father's arms. I hugged him back; he felt good, but I wanted Edward.

Eventually, he let me go, holding me away from him and looked me up and down.

"You're far too thin, my girl. Why don't we go back to Forks and get you fattened up."

"No!" I screamed and he looked pained at my response. "I just want to get back to normal, Dad, sleep in my own bed, go back to work. Please understand that."

"Okay, we'll talk about it. Thanks, Edward, for bringing her back to me. You can go now, I've got her," he dismissed Edward coldly.

My poor dad looked a little stunned when I walked around him and up to Edward, wrapping my arms around his waist. We didn't kiss again; I was still reliving our goodbye from moments earlier. He dropped tiny kisses onto the top of my head and hugged me to him.

"Okay, so get inside, it's colder here than where we were. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay, I guess I'll see you later then. I love you, Edward Cullen," I whispered as he let me go.

I was glad to be home, but it all felt a little strange now compared to the sparse living I had been doing for the last however many weeks.

"So, Bells, you want anything to drink? Tea, coffee?" dad asked.

"No, I'm good, Dad. I'm going to have a nice long bath. You don't mind do you? I've missed soaking in a hot bubble bath."

"No, I'll still be here when you're done. I'll get us something to eat, too."

My ears must have been deceiving me, my dad cooked? When I raised my eyebrows in question, he laughed and told me he had placed an order for food to be delivered.

I soaked for what seemed like hours, reliving that kiss, Edward's touches, all the time we had been away. We may not have had sex, but we might as well have done because Jesus, everything we did shouted 'fuck me' now. When my toes and fingers became too wrinkled, I knew it was time to get out. Relaxed and dressed casually in comfy sweats and a soft jumper, I headed into my lounge to see what my dad had been up to.

He looked up and smiled a huge smile when I walked in. I immediately felt horrible for not wanting him here and wanting to be with Edward.

"Sorry I was so long. It was lovely relaxing in a hot bath, I've missed it. So, what have you been up to?"

"Never mind about me, come over here and sit your skinny arse down. I need to see you, talk to you about what happened over there."

"Dad, I'm back and I'm safe, thanks to Edward. Can we not do this now? I'm starving and beat."

"Don't you mean Edward and Emmett? I thought they both were there?"

"Yeah, well Emmett was for a while, but he needed to come back before I was well enough, for Rose and the business."

"So, you were with Edward Cullen alone for a period?"

"Hardly alone on a military base, but yes, it was just me and him most of the time. Why?"

"Well, before you went, you were kissing him and all, so I kind of wondered..."

"Wonder all you like, Dad, but my lips are sealed. So, is the food coming any time soon or do I just go to bed now?"

"It's on its way; Italian, your favourite. Ten minutes they said, so it should be here..."

Someone ringing my doorbell broke him off. Dad went to get the food while I got out two plates and got us both a couple of glasses of water.

The salad and lasagne was good and I ate it all. Dad's eyes kept on me the whole while. It made me feel very self-conscious.

"I'm off to bed, Dad, I'll see you in the morning. Just leave me to sleep and I'll get up whenever I wake. I just want to relax in my own bed if that's okay?"

"Of course it is, love, no pressure. I just want you to be okay. I need to make sure my baby girl is doing well."

Crawling under the heavy duck down duvet felt wonderful. My eyes started to drift when I realised that I hadn't spoken to Edward. Finding my phone, I saw I had three missed calls, all from him. "Shit!" A text message was also waiting for me.

_**Sorry I missed you, I guess you either crashed or are talking to your dad. Don't sweat it. I'll talk to you soon. Remember, Bella, I love you! Always x**_

I needed to speak to him sooner rather than later, just to hear his voice if nothing else. It was late now, almost midnight, and I knew that he would be as knackered as I was, but I still pressed the button that brought up his number.

He sounded sleepy when he answered on about the third or fourth ring. "Bella, baby, are you okay?"

"I am now that I'm talking to you. God, Edward, I wish you were here, I miss you terribly."

He sighed and said quietly, "I miss you, too. So what have you and Charlie been up to?"

"Nothing much, I had a luxurious bath, soaked for ages and came out all wrinkly. It felt divine. He ordered us some food and we talked a bit, then I came to bed. What about you? Seen any of your family?"

"Yeah, Mum and Alice were here when I got back, fussing and all. Mum made me a casserole and force-fed me, and then they left. I had a quick shower then collapsed on the sofa so I decided it was time for bed. I was just dozing off when you rang."

"Sorry."

"Hey, never be sorry for ringing me. I needed to hear your voice, too. Where are you now? Does Charlie know you're ringing me?"

"Nah, I'm in bed, I left my phone on charge by the side of the bed and saw that I'd missed your calls. I wanted to say goodnight properly. Thank you for the text, the words were lovely. I love you, too. So, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Bella, Charlie needs to spend time with you on his own. He already hates me for kissing you. We'll talk tomorrow; see how the land lays, eh?"

"Nope, I'll tell him you're coming over, and you will, right?"

"If that's what you want then that's what I'll do. I'm done not doing what's best for us, Bella, you know that. Look, you sound about all in; get some sleep and I'll speak to you first thing, say good morning to my beautiful girl. How does that sound?"

"It sounds perfect. Goodnight, Edward, sweet dreams." I hung up happier and with a smile on my face.

When I woke up, I felt a little stiff and noticed that I hadn't moved one inch. I must have slept like the dead. Stretching, I sat up and looked at my phone. It was a quarter nine, just about the right time to get up and start the day. Today, I would see him again and I couldn't wait.

I wanted to look at least half decent for Edward today, so after a quick shower and then dressing carefully in jeans and a blue casual/smart blouse, I slowly wandered into the kitchen where Charlie was sat nursing a cup of what smelled like coffee.

"Any left for me?"

"I just made a fresh brew. You look nice, going somewhere?"

"No, not that I know of, unless you have plans of course."

"No, no plans for me. So what do you want to do today?"

"Well, Edward will be coming over at some point later; he'll probably go into the office first, though. So, whatever, I'm easy."

"Why is Edward Cullen coming here today?"

"Why not?" I answered in a snippy voice.

"Haven't you spent more than enough time with him lately?"

"No, I don't think any amount of time is enough with Edward." Shit, I didn't mean to say that.

His head snapped up and in a slightly raised voice he said, "What? Surely you're not going to put yourself through that again."

"What are you on about, Dad?"

"I saw how he treated you when you went to New York. He ignored you, treated you like dirt, and flaunted his other women in front of you. He's not good for you, Bella, he's proven that."

"What do you know about when I came to New York?"

"You think I didn't know that you two were running around, sneaking off for weekends together? I didn't like it, but you were old enough to know your own mind so I kept my thoughts to myself. Look, I know you love that whole family, and Alice is like a daughter to me, too, but they're just too close, what with you working for them, too. You'll end up getting hurt."

"Look, Dad, I know you're worried about me and all, but there's really no need to be. Edward and I are all grown up now and we aren't going to do something without talking about it first. And how come everyone knew about Edward and I back in Forks and yet we thought we were a secret?"

"Bella, you two only had to be in the same room and the sparks flew. Heck, I hated being in the same room as you two because you made me feel so damn uncomfortable. Not a nice thing for a dad to know his only daughter is having...well, you know what I mean."

He was as red as I was, but I needed to make it clear that I wanted to see Edward today.

"So, Edward will come over for dinner, say about half six, you can stay or go out. It's up to you."

"I'll stay, there's no way I'm leaving my only daughter alone with someone like Edward Cullen. I'll chaperone."

"We don't need a chaperone, Dad. We just spent quite a while alone in a land far away and managed to control ourselves. There will be kissing and touching, though. Can you handle that?"

"Oh, please, not in my presence, Bella!" Charlie whined.

The rest of the day went smoothly. Edward had agreed to come over for dinner; reluctantly, though. I think my dad might have rung him and warned him a bit. I was so looking forward to seeing him.

I cooked and it felt good being back in my own kitchen. I decided a roast beef dinner with all the works was in order. I giggled to myself, remembering that I could get to Edward through his stomach.

He arrived right on time and Charlie actually gave us a little privacy at the door.

"Hey, I missed you," I told him leaning in for a kiss.

"Me, too. Jesus, Bella, you smell so good. How the hell am I supposed to keep my hands to myself tonight?" he groaned, kissing me with a passion I could feel. Someone clearing their throat behind us made us break apart.

"Charlie, how are you?" Edward asked trying to keep his face straight.

"Edward, Bella, can you come in here please where I can see you?"

"Pardon me?" I asked incredulously.

"You know what I mean, young lady," he walked in front of us, making me feel like an awkward fourteen year old that had just been caught doing something naughty. Edward and I followed, feeling like we had been told off. Our hands stayed entwined, though, and it was nice. It told me that Edward wasn't scared of my dad and intended to pursue us.

We all sat awkwardly; dad had chosen to sit in the middle of the sofa, making sure that Edward and I could not sit side by side. Edward smirked knowing exactly what Charlie was doing. We all sat fiddling with our hands on our laps. When I moved to see to the dinner, Edward offered to help. When we both got up, my dad automatically followed.

It was like having a faithful Labrador pattering around after you. How I kept my temper I really did not know. Every time Edward and I tried to strike up a private conversation, Charlie butted in and changed the subject. It was pathetic really, and when he asked Edward, "So, Edward, are you still dating that Tanya Denali?" I was floored. What the hell?

"Charlie, I was never seeing Tanya Denali. We're nothing more than friends, I can assure you. Bella knows there are no other women in my life other than my mother and my sister."

I was almost glad when Edward decided to call it a night. It was still early, but if I were able to leave, I would, too. No amount of me scowling at my dad helped. He seemed to grow in confidence the more he was making poor Edward and I uncomfortable.

He actually allowed me to walk Edward out. I was beginning to think he would escort Edward down to his car, but thank god he didn't. As I closed the door behind me, I heard a quiet chuckle.

"Don't you dare laugh, Cullen! I'm so embarrassed. Here I am a grown woman and still my dad scares potential suitors off. I'm sorry he behaved like that towards you."

"Bella, it's fine, actually. I'm glad he wants to protect you. So, tomorrow? Shall we try again?"

"I was planning on coming into the office."

"Really? Does Charlie know?"

"It's my decision, not his. You go on home before I change my mind and take you back in to my bed."

A long goodnight kiss followed and I ached for him to pick me up in his arms and carry me to bed, mine or his, I wasn't fussy. He didn't, though. With a deep sigh, he pulled himself away and walked slowly towards the exit.

Unable to speak to my dad civilly, I gave him the stink eye and went straight to bed.

For five whole days and nights, he carried on like this, cockblocking us at every turn. He came with me to the office, accepted Esme's invite to dinner, and stayed glued by my side, even when I'd screamed at him to go away, all for the purpose of keeping Edward at bay.

I could feel Edward pulling away emotionally. He still kissed me with all he had, but verbally he was running for the hills again. Damn Charlie, damn him to hell. I had to take control of my life back before I lost Edward again, this time for good.

"Dad we need to speak. Please sit down and listen. I don't want to hear from you until I'm done."

He sat down reluctantly. "Okay, Bells, what's up?"

"Dad, you need to go back home. You're driving me mad, you're driving a wedge between Edward and I and I will not allow that to happen. Please, if you love me, you'll let me deal with my relationship with Edward. Please, Dad, I love him and we need to talk, sort us out once and for all. We can't do that with you hanging round like a bad smell. I can feel Edward backing away from me emotionally the more time we spend disconnected."

"Then he's not worthy of you, love."

"Dad, he's scared of confronting his emotions. Back in Afghanistan, we were thrown together twenty-four-seven and he had to face up to his feelings for me. He was able to talk things through quite well over there, we were really quite close. But here, with you obstructing him at every turn, all the confidence he gained in Afghanistan is fast slipping away. I don't want to lose him again, Dad, please understand that."

"So your mind is made up about him then?"

"I love him; always have, even when I was mad at him. It's always been him. We have a lot to talk about, though, and that's what we'd planned to do when we got back. You being here and hovering like this is causing us a real problem right now."

"Okay, I'll go home if you're sure that's what you want."

"I'll come see you when I know what's going on, once I know if Edward and I are going to be together."

It was a relief an hour later when I waved Charlie goodbye. I didn't feel sad, six days of my dad being a pain in the arse was enough for anyone. As I walked back into the apartment block, I sent Edward a quick text to let him know I was free and waiting for him when he was ready for our talk.

Anxiety crept up on me as I realised he hadn't replied. Shit, last night he'd been cool, much cooler than previous nights. Although I had noticed him talking less and less, even though he still held my hand and kissed me thoroughly goodnight. My getting rid of Charlie had come at just the right time.

Brewing a fresh pot of coffee, I was surprised when my apartment buzzer sounded. It was him, he was here. I heard the door open and continued to keep busy in the kitchen.

Arms snaking around my waist startled me. He was close behind me with his lips in my hair. I turned to face him, and he looked tired and pale.

"You feel so good. I've missed you so much since we got home," I said hoping to draw him into confessing his own frustrations.

"I've missed you, too. How was Charlie when he left?"

"I told him to go, Edward, and I told him why. He was okay, I think he understood."

Pouring him a coffee, we walked slowly into my lounge and sat side by side on my sofa. I felt a little embarrassed now knowing that tonight could be the beginning of the rest of our lives, or the end of something that could have been wonderful.

"So, you've been pretty quiet the last few days, are you okay?" I asked not really wanting him to reply.

"I'm okay, a little tired maybe. I've not been sleeping well. So, Ms. Swan, finally we get the chance to have that talk. Do you want me to start?"

"If you want to, I don't mind. I think you know already just how I feel anyway."

He was quiet for a long time and I was scared to look at him. What was he waiting for?

**Sorry to leave it on a cliffy, but I wanted to give a whole chapter to their talk and first I had to get rid of meddling Charlie!**

**Let me know what you think.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Thanks to Dollybigmomma.**

**SM owns all that is the wonderful Twilight.**

**Chapter 29**

**EDWARD**

I was sat in my office contemplating what the fuck had happened this last week since we had gotten back. I knew exactly what had happened; Charlie fucking chief of police Swan had happened. At every turn he had cockblocked me. Fuck, we couldn't even have a private conversation without him interrupted us or changing the subject. That man was starting to grate on my none-too-tightly-controlled temper.

I knew Bella was just as frustrated as me if not more. She was much more open than me, able to demonstrate her feelings both physically and verbally whenever she wanted to. Me, I was more guarded, scared shitless if I was honest, of declaring myself and being shot down in flames. It had never happened so only god knew why I was like that.

Her text did not come as a surprise. Our brief conversation via email last night told me she was well pissed at her dad. She was getting more and more frustrated at his antics. He allowed us absolutely no privacy. Not even when my mum invited us to dinner did he think to politely decline or hang back. My parents would have given us time to ourselves, time to be just Edward and Bella, time to talk. Charlie was not as astute at knowing what we really wanted, and if he was, he did not want me spending time alone with his only daughter.

He'd made it quite clear I was not good enough for her and he had hinted that I should back off and give her the chance to see that she had other options. Fuck that, I wasn't going to back off and give her the opportunity to meet and fall for someone else. Why the hell would I do that to myself? I had wasted enough time being a pussy.

I didn't get much work done so I decided to head off home. Ten minutes stood under the strong jets of my power shower made me feel more relaxed and able to cope with what I knew was coming once I got to Bella's apartment. I dressed carefully, casual black jeans and an open-necked white shirt. I looked good, yet still felt comfy.

I had sensed that Bella had picked up on my retreat. I guessed I was in for a bit of a grilling again. I didn't blame her, though. We had been doing just fine back in Afghanistan, we had grown incredibly close and talking to her there had been easy. I knew it was because I had no fear of her dumping me for someone else out there.

She buzzed me in and I found the door slightly ajar when I arrived in front of her apartment. I found her in the kitchen making a fresh pot of coffee. I could not resist putting my arms around her waist and taking in her delicious scent. She turned in my arms and told me how much she'd missed me. God, did she not know how much I had missed her, too? She also clocked the strain in my eyes as well as the bags for six sleepless nights without her.

Sitting side by side feeling a little awkward, I asked her if she wanted me to start. I didn't look at her as she told me that I knew how she felt. She was right, I did know. I knew she loved me, she showed me every day and I felt sick with how much of a coward I was. I knew since we had been back, and partly due to Charlie's interference, that I had retreated into myself again. Yes, I had kissed her hello and goodbye and we had held hands, but the words I desperately needed to say were getting further and further into the distance the longer we were held at bay from each other.

We were both quiet, too quiet really. I knew she was waiting for me to say something. I needed to, too, before I lost my nerve altogether, and with that, her and her love.

"So, I'm sorry I've been distant for a few days," I told her playing with my hands and not looking at her. "I find it hard to express my feelings in front of others. Especially your dad, he hates me by the way and he puts the fear of god in me." She didn't look up at me, instead choosing to look into her lap. "Angela told me you kept my letter close to you back in Afghanistan. Everything I wrote in there was true, Bella. Every word I meant and I wished I could have told you that before, I hope you know that." She still didn't talk. "I don't know why I'm so scared of telling you and showing you how I feel. Back before you came to New York, I was petrified that you would meet someone else and leave me high and dry. I was a fool, I know that. Everything you did showed me how you felt. If only I'd have had the courage to talk to you about it. Why did you never tell me how you felt?"

She looked up then, her eyes glistening with tears.

"I thought we were only fuck buddies, Edward. I was prepared to take whatever I could get from you in whatever form. I loved you for years, even before we were together. I, too, was scared to say the words out loud. I didn't even realise that all my actions should have told you anyway. Did you know everyone else knew how we felt about each other? How can that be? How could we have been so clueless? All those years wasted. Alice and Emmett told me it was plain as day, written all over our faces. How come neither of us knew?"

"I didn't want to fall for you, at least not at first, Bella," I said ashamedly. "I wanted to resent your intrusion into my family. They all loved you straight away, but to me you were another pain in the arse, much like Alice always was," I smiled and Bella laughed at my assessment of my sister.

"Then I got to know you. I used to watch you, I loved the little faces you pulled when Alice made you do something you were uncomfortable with. I loved how you blushed when Emmett teased you or you tripped up, which, by the way, was often. Soon, though, I realised that I liked you more than I should. Your eighteenth birthday came along and I knew I could not resist you any longer. I'd seen your sly little glances, and then when you licked your lips when you stared at me, I about came undone. Have you any idea what your innocent actions did to an inexperienced teenage boy? It wasn't pretty, Bella, I can tell you that."

She was blushing now as I talked about her. I loved that about her.

"Bella, our time together as lovers was the most special time in my life. I think only our time together in Afghanistan comes close to it. Sure, I know that was different because of where we were and what had happened to you, but we were together and that meant everything to me. I meant every word I said over there, I love you, I always have. I know I've been stupid in the past, but all I can do is apologise. I can't turn the clock back. I wish I could, I'd do it in a heartbeat. We'd probably be married now, have a kid or two. Sorry, that's just how I feel."

"Really, you've thought of us married with kids?" she asked wide-eyed.

"I have, a lot, have you?"

"Yes, I have a lot, too. I love you, Edward, that's not in question. What I need to understand is why you back off, why you retreat into yourself. What are you so scared of? You're such a confident business man, ruthless so I hear. I can't understand how you can be so different with me, with your feelings."

"I know, love, but it's different at work. There I have confidence, no one can touch me. I know my stuff and I'm probably the best there is at what I do. It helps that my family has confidence in me, gives me free reign to move forward and excel. With you it's different. I'm scared one day you'll realise what a loser I really am and you'll walk away. I have no idea how to be open with you. I'm still scared to death that one day you'll up and leave me, meet someone else and say so long, Edward. It'd kill me, Bella, honestly, so I built up a wall of protection. Cowardly Edward hides behind his wall, safe from Bella and what she might do to his heart." I hoped she understood how hard this was for me to tell her. I felt laid bare, my biggest weakness on display.

"I love you, Edward, I don't know what else I can do or say to convince you of that. Every relationship is a risk surely, but aren't we worth the risk? I know I'm willing."

She was still willing to take a chance on me after all that I had done to her. Did I even deserve her? Could I do this without messing up, pushing her away until I made her hurt me, or worse yet, hate me?

"Bella, how would you deal with my inability to open up to you? How would you prevent me from ruining us?"

"You did pretty well over in Afghanistan being open. I don't need you being all sickly lovey-dovey. I just need to know how you feel about me, about us, and be confident that you'll talk to me if and when the need arises. I want our friends and family and any new people we meet to know how you feel about me. Am I asking too much? Can you do that for me? For us?"

I wanted to scream in her face that of course I could do that for her, for us, but I didn't; being Edward Cullen, I sat and pondered over her words.

"You think I opened up to you in Afghanistan? Hell, Bella, I was fighting for the love of my life, you were taken against your will, someone was hurting you, and that in turn hurt me. When you got shot, I nearly died, too. Thank god you pulled through, gave me the chance to show you how much I love you. You liked how I was over there? Was that how you would want me to be in a relationship?"

"It was perfect, Edward, I loved our time there. If a relationship with you could be like that all the time, it would be all I could ask for. Can you do that, though? That's the question. Can I ask you, have I ever given you any reason to doubt my feelings for you? Have I ever made you think that I wanted someone else?"

"Well, no, not exactly. I mean your scowls are pretty scary when you're mad, and your stink eye makes my blood run cold, but other than that, no, I know exactly how you feel about me. I know you don't want anyone else."

"When did I ever give you the stink eye or scowl at you?"

"I got it every time we met up accidently at the office or at my family's parties when I brought a friend."

I laughed out loud at her scowling face.

"So you don't think I had a reason to react like that, you flaunting all your floozies under my nose?"

"Friends, Bella, they were all only friends, none of them were ever anything more. I might've done it on purpose once I knew how mad you got, though. Does that make you hate me?"

"I could never hate you, but I will be banking that information for future use. So, Mr. Cullen, what now?" She blushed a little and I found it hard not to pounce on her and make love to her for hours.

"Well, seeing as you're willing to accept me and all my issues and not be scared off by my inability to talk about my feelings, I guess we should go out on a date."

"A date? Edward, I think we're a bit beyond dating."

"No, we're not. I've never taken you out on a date, not a proper one. Okay, I accept that while we were involved before, we may have gone out when we were away on a weekend and eaten dinner or had a picnic, but it was all unofficial, and now that we're official, I really would like to do it right. It's the least I can do for you taking a chance on me."

"Okay, so say we date, officially, of course; although I can't remember being asked to be official with you, can we do other stuff?"

"Isabella Swan, will you please go out on a date with me and be my official other half, girlfriend, life partner, wife? What sort of other stuff?" I asked not really wanting to hear her answer; I think I could guess from the look on her face.

"Wife?" she asked quietly blushing pillar-box red. Yup, apparently I'd said that out loud.

"Well, I guess that's where we're heading, isn't it? I mean...um, it's what I'd hoped we'd do at some point. What other stuff, Bella?" I asked hoping to distract her attention away from the whole marriage thing.

With a deep breath, she spoke slowly, "We'll get back to the other stuff in a minute. You meant it about getting married?"

"I did, but I don't want to scare you off. We don't have to do it, like, right now. I thought we could wait a week or two," I said teasing her now.

"I'm not scared, Edward, I want it, too. I'd do it tomorrow if you wanted to. I'm sure about how I feel about you, us, I have been for a very long time. I love you, although I was hoping for a much more romantic proposal."

I leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you, too, very, very much. So, about that other stuff…"

"Okay, I was getting to that. So seeing as we're now official and all; do we get to bypass the three-date rule for any physical stuff? I mean you just kissed me and declared yourself, so I'm assuming that rule is out the window?"

Lightening things up, we continued to tease each other around the subject of sex. I really did want to do this right, but I was also aware of the huge elephant in the room. Poor Bella had been chomping at the bit since she awoke from her injuries and I knew realistically I was not going to be able to hold her off much longer. Did I even want to? That would be a no then.

"There are no rules, love, just you and me doing what we think is right, doing what we want to do for each other, not for anyone else."

Our kisses soon turned heated and when she climbed over and straddled me, I could not stop a loud groan escaping from my mouth. She was determined, that was for sure. She felt so fucking good grinding into me on my lap. I could feel the heat from her core and it was driving me mad.

"Bella, love, we need to take this into the bedroom or I'll not be responsible for what happens here."

With a giggle, she climbed off me and pulled me up, dragging me off into her room. She was not blushing anymore. I think she was beyond blushes right now. She was actually glowing and very determined. Her hands were all over me and pulling my shirt up and over my head. I tried to slow her down to no avail.

"Baby, slow down, we've got all night and the rest of our lives to do this. Let's enjoy this first time now that we're official."

She looked at me like I had thrown her teddy out of the cot. Her bottom lip stuck out as she pouted her disapproval. But when she gnawed on it, I pounced. I had never been able to resist Bella gnawing on her bottom lip. I always thought it was the sexiest thing in the world. With a growl, I had her on her back under me on the bed.

Our kisses now took on a whole different meaning; they were slow and exploratory, each of us wanting to be closer, deeper. Our clothes came off quickly and ended up in a pile at the side of her bed. We needed to talk about contraception. I hadn't brought any condoms with me and I didn't want to presume Bella would take care of it.

"Love, I haven't got any condoms with me," I moaned into her mouth.

She pulled herself away from me and looked deeply into my eyes, "Do we need condoms? I haven't been with anyone else,." she admitted, although I knew anyway.

"Me, neither," I told her honestly, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Really? You haven't had sex since we...wow, I mean fuck, Edward. I'm on the pill and have been since way back. I'm okay if you are...I mean, I do have some I got as favours from a bridal shower that I could probably dig out..."

I silenced her with a deep kiss. "No condoms, Bella."

I had not forgotten just how good she felt. Sure, my memory might have been a little fuzzy around the edges, but my hands remembered her well enough. Soon she was panting my name as she closed in on her first release.

"Edward, please, I need you, please." How could I resist when she begged so nicely?

Removing the last of our clothes, I settled back between her legs. Looking at her, I could not help but smile. She was beautiful, everything I had ever wanted, and now she was mine. For always. She had practically agreed to marry me today. I would have to dig out the ring I had bought all those years ago.

"I love you, Bella. Thank you for loving me, taking a chance on me. I'll try to make sure I don't let you down, ever."

"You could never let me down, Edward, not ever. I love you so much," she said as I pushed slowly into her warmth.

We were both still for a moment as we took in the feelings that came rushing back. We were always good together like this, well matched, our physical requirements complimenting each other's. As I slowly started to move inside her, she matched me thrust for thrust. I wanted this to last, I swear I did, but after so long and being back where I belonged, I just didn't know if I could.

"Bella, I don't know if I can..."

"It's okay, baby, let go this time, we have the rest of our lives to make love slowly."

Her words alone took me over the edge. Fireworks went off all around me as I emptied into her. She followed upon feeling my powerful release, milking me of all I had.

We fell asleep wrapped up in each other's arms. Several times throughout the night, we woke up and made love again. Each time was different; once, it was desperate and needy and didn't last long at all. The other times, it was full of love and passion and it took my breath away. When morning came, neither of us wanted to get up and go to work.

"Shall we take a sick day today, love?" I asked her hoping she would agree.

"What will the boss say?"

"Oh, I think we'll be okay for just one day."

Emmett laughed loudly when I rang to tell him we wouldn't be in today. We spent the whole day in bed, making love, talking, laughing, and dozing in between. How comfortable we were around each other pleased me to no end. It helped me with my issues, seeing her here with me like this, totally relaxed, in love, and not being afraid to show it. I think I might have even managed to show how I was feeling, too. She certainly wasn't complaining. That might have been because most of the time her lips were otherwise occupied. I needed to get it in my head that even when we were not like this, we were still okay. She loved me still and I need not go into panic mode.

Finally dragging ourselves out of bed, we shared a shower and because we were still horny and hopelessly in love, the shower took three times as long as it should have. I think shower sex was one of my favourite pastimes.

She made us food and we sat and ate and talked. It was great and we were totally relaxed.

"Where do you want to go on our first date?" I asked her.

"I don't mind, Edward, surprise me, but nowhere expensive. Just us and some time on our own will be enough."

"How come you always know the exact right thing to say, Swan?"

"Just a knack I have I guess," she laughed before burying her head in my shoulder.

"So, work tomorrow, shall we go in together? Or do you want to play it cool for a bit, keep things private between us?"

"I don't want to hide us, Edward, but if it's too much for you, too soon for you to be able to deal with all the questions, then I'm happy to wait a while."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course I would; I love you, I want to support you in any way I can."

"Wow, how did I get so lucky? Remind me. I don't want to hide us either, Bella. In fact, I'd be prepared to put an announcement in the papers if you wanted me to."

"I don't think that's necessary, do you? Us just being able to say that we're together and in love is enough for me. I can kiss you at work, though, can't I?"

"Try stopping me kissing you."

We decided to head back to my place for the night. Bella brought her overnight bag and a fresh set of clothes for the office. We would be going in as a couple after another night spent in each other's arms.

**So, nothing scary really, just an insecure young man scared of being rejected. I get the feeling that since they've talked and agreed to try, things will get easier.**

**Let me know what you think!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**Dollybigmomma has waved her magic wand once again over my drivel. Thanks, Dolly.**

**Lots of new readers and reviewers. Welcome to you all and thanks for taking the time to drop by my little story. Huge thanks to all the faithful readers who take to time to review each and every chapter. It means the world.**

**SM owns, we just borrow and play.**

**Chapter 30**

**BELLA**

I could not believe that Edward and I were driving into work together. If he hadn't been holding my hand over the console, I would have needed to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. As we pulled into the Cullen Group lower level executive car park, I reached over and poked his side.

"So, Cullen, you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be, my love, although coming in at half eight probably wasn't such a great idea."

"And whose fault is that?" I laughed. "Who wanted an extra half an hour in bed this morning?"

"Are you complaining about how the extra time was spent, Ms. Swan? I thought it was rather productive, actually, but I'm willing to hear you out."

"I'm not complaining, Edward, just mentioning that had we gotten here earlier, we would not be faced with nosy colleagues like we are now," I squeezed his hand to show I meant it.

As we pulled up into Edward's designated parking place, I could see a few other people milling around heading towards the lifts. Some faces I recognised, some I didn't. He was up and out of the car and opening my door before I had picked up my bag. Without a thought, I place my hand into the hand he offered.

He didn't let it go. He held my hand and smiled shyly at me to see if it was okay as we walked towards the lift. Again, I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled right back at him. As we approached the lifts, a strangely effeminate voice behind us caught our attention.

"Edward, good to have you back. We need to set up a meeting soon. I have some exceptional talent to share with you."

"Good morning, Roger. Bella, I don't know if you know Roger Clement, my new talent reviewer. Roger, this is Isabella Swan, editor up in current affairs." Edward didn't quantify our relationship and I wondered why.

"Hi, Roger; pleased to meet you," I said with a welcoming smile.

"Ms. Swan," he answered curtly.

I wondered for a second what that was all about as he continued to bend Edward's ear about what he'd missed. Roger totally ignored me, though, and I could see that Edward was finding his rudeness a problem. Thankfully, the lift came to a halt and we all walked out. Roger headed off up the stairs while Edward and I, still hand in hand, headed towards the executive lifts.

"Sorry about that, love, he's a bit possessive of me," Edward said with a laugh.

"What do you mean?" I was getting quite worried now.

"Roger's got quite a thing for me, it's the on-going joke in my area; how I only have to flutter my eyelashes and he's there. I'm used to him now, but he's rather rude to my female friends. I'll speak to him later and put him in the picture about you and me. I won't tolerate him being rude to you."

"He's gay then? And he fancies you?"

"Yup and yup."

"How are you able to work with him if he's so unprofessional? He's incredibly rude."

"I know. I've had to speak to him before when I've had a guest for lunch or a meeting with a female. The staff thinks it's hilarious. Look, Bella, his being gay doesn't bother me. I have no issues surrounding my sexuality, thank you. I'm sure you'll agree. I'm okay being around him as long as it doesn't affect others. He won't speak to you like that again, I can assure you."

"Just leave it; I've got you, he hasn't. I win." Inside the lift, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me deeply. "What was that for?"

"Just to keep us going until I see you again."

"Are you free for lunch? I do have a coffee break at eleven, too, if you're free."

"I'll make sure I'm free for both. I'm really going to miss you today. Do you want me to come up to your office with you?"

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks for this, Edward," I said holding up our still-entwined hands.

"You like this?"

"I do, it feels nice to be close to you. This is all I want."

"I know what you mean. It just felt kind of natural to hold your hand when we got out of the car. I love you, Bella."

"I know, and I love you, too. So, coffee at eleven then?"

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away. You don't have a coffee before then do you?"

"I do, but I'm working; go on, I'll see you later."

As the lift ground to a halt, he dropped another kiss on my lips and exited with a huge smile on his face. As the doors closed, I could not help shaking my head and laughing out loud. Who'd have thought it?

When I reached my floor, the doors opened and I could see James talking to a couple of the other journalists. They all turned and looked at me as I approached. I had been back for short periods, a meeting with Emmett, lunch with Alice, but today was my first day back in earnest.

"Bella, it's lovely to see you again. Welcome back. You sure you're okay to be here?" James asked as I reached him.

"I'm fine, James, really, I just want to get back into the swing of things. Any coffee going for grabs?" I asked.

Three different cups of coffee appeared from nowhere before me. I said thanks and made my way to my office, fumbling a bit for my keys. Inside, everything was how I remembered. It felt nice, comfortable, and familiar. I had not been inside five minutes when the phone rang.

"Bella Swan, current affairs."

"You sound so sexy when you're in work mode, not that you don't all the time. So how are you fairing?" he asked.

"Edward, I barely left you ten minutes ago. How do you think I am?"

"Missing me, like I miss you; have you had a coffee because I could bring you one right now?"

"As much as I'd love to sit here and drink coffee with you all day, I really do need to get on with my story. I'll see you at eleven with my latte."

Somewhat reluctantly, he let me get on. A constant stream of well-wishers came and went, and when an email from Edward popped up stating that he wanted to visit, I could not deny him.

He must have been nearby because he was at my door in less than a minute.

"What, no coffee, Edward?"

"It's not eleven yet."

"So what's up?"

"I want to go home, spend some more time just you and me," he said longingly.

"As good as that sounds, that will not get my story edited and ready for print. Look, we have our first official date tonight. We'll be alone all evening hopefully and then maybe we can spend the night together again."

"Maybe? You think I'm going to let you sleep without me ever again?"

He immediately backtracked and stuttered over a jumble of words.

"Edward, it's okay, I'm not going to hold you to anything you say."

We were interrupted then with work and Edward took his leave, albeit reluctantly, stating he would be back soon.

Coffee at eleven went well and we managed a kiss or two before Edward left, seeming a little happier. For lunch, he took me to a swanky cafe not far from the office. We held hands and talked while we ate. He was not letting on about where he was taking me tonight.

Eyebrows continued to rise when we walked back into Cullen's foyer hand in hand. Jane Volturi practically choked on her coffee when Edward told her to cancel all his appointments after four o'clock because he was going home.

His arm was around my shoulder as he walked me back to my office. People pretended not to notice until a loud voice shouted, "About bloody time, good to see you two actually did something useful with your time over in Afghanistan," James bellowed from his office.

Edward chuckled at my side when I cringed.

"Now who's not comfortable with their feelings?" he nudged me.

"I'm more than comfortable with how I feel about you, Edward; I just didn't want it broadcast all over the office on day one."

He leaned in and kissed me thoroughly on the lips. I could not help but respond and before I knew it, we were getting cat calls of 'get a room'.

Mortified but also a little bit pleased by Edward's PDA, I walked quickly into my office and closed the door.

He didn't bother me again until 4:00 p.m. on the dot when he knocked on the door and told me we were going home. He dropped me off at mine and told me to be ready by seven o'clock. He wouldn't give me a hint of what to wear, but I should have guessed that our fashion editor, my BFF, and Edward's younger sister, all aka Alice, would be there to get me sorted out.

A beautiful dress hung from the hook on the back of my bedroom door. It was a classic black number, like something every girl should have in their wardrobe. It fit like a glove when I eventually got dressed. I had been waxed, shaved, and scrubbed to within an inch of my life and no amount of protesting got her to stop. Alice, like Edward, would not tell me where we were going.

He arrived at 7:00 p.m. on the dot, a corsage in his hand made up of all my very favourite flowers.

"It's beautiful, Edward. You look amazing," I told him as he clipped it onto my dress.

"Just like you then, my love. Are you sure you want to go out?" he chuckled and then he dropped a kiss on the end of my nose.

When we arrived at the marina, he held my hand as he led us along the pier to where a line of luxury yachts were moored. One I noticed was lit up with bright fairy lights and it seemed to have music coming from it. Even the gangplank was covered in fairy lights. He steadied me as we walked slowly on board.

"Edward, it looks amazing, who does it belong to?"

"A friend, he said we can use it for our dinner and stay on board overnight if we want to."

I blushed then knowing what Edward was implying. We both had work tomorrow and whilst I did not want to dampen the wonderful atmosphere, I feared I must remind him of that fact.

"Um, we have work in the morning so it'll probably be best if we sleep at home. Another time would be lovely, though," I added wanting to let him know I loved it.

"No work for you and I tomorrow, Ms. Swan, by order the CEO himself. Emmett does not want to see either of us until 8:30 a.m. on Friday. We've got tomorrow off to do as we please."

A waiter appeared from inside the cabin and gestured for us to take our seats. The table had been set under a fairy light-decorated canopy in case of rain. Candles adorned the table and the music made for a very romantic setting.

"So, you planned to keep me here all night did you?"

"Not planned, no, but I hoped you'd agree to stay with me here. I can take you home if you'd prefer."

"Let's see where the night takes us, shall we? Thank you for doing this, Edward, it's lovely."

"You're very welcome. Shall we eat?"

The food was divine and after four courses and a couple of glasses of champagne, I was feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

"Dance with me?" he asked seductively.

"You know I have two left feet, Edward, so don't moan at me when I tread on your toes."

"You can tread on my toes all you want if it means you're in my arms."

I looked at him sceptically now. "Okay, where's the real Edward Cullen? Come on, what have you done with him? I need him back; I'm rather partial to him."

"Is this all too much?" he asked quietly.

"No, really, it's perfect. Just so you know, though, all I'll ever need is you and your love, Edward. If I have that, I'm more than happy."

"Truly? You'd be happy with take-away at home if it were just you and me?"

"I would," I told him as we swayed slowly to the background music.

"So, this sleeping at each other's places every night, I meant what I said earlier about not wanting to be apart. Do you think we could move into one or the other of the places?" He looked scared to death waiting for me to reply.

"Are you asking me to live with you?" I asked him holding my breath.

"Yes, I can't and don't want to spend another night away from you. If you want to wait to formalise it, I guess I can live with that as long as we spend every night together."

"Do you want to live together or not?"

"I do."

"Then shut up trying to talk me out of it. Of course I'd love to live with you, Edward; you're all I want, all I've ever wanted. We've already talked about forever, this is just the start."

"There's more, Bella, if you'll allow me?" He moved away from me a little and I suddenly feel bereft. However, when he dropped to one knee, I very nearly joined him. Oh, my god, he was actually going to do it. I knew we had talked about the 'M' word, but we were so new. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was what I wanted. I always had, from that very first touch way back when I was eighteen. He was it for me.

"Isabella Swan, I promise to love you every single day of forever, would you do me the extraordinary honour of becoming my wife?" he asked and opened a little black velvet box that was in front of him.

Inside, sat in a cushion of deep blue silk, lay the most stunning ring I had ever set eyes on. I looked from it to him over and over with my mouth wide open. Set in what I presumed was platinum was a dazzling square-cut emerald the perfect colour to match his eyes, and at either side of it stood two proud diamonds. It was just what I would have chosen.

I realised that I still hadn't answered him and precious seconds had gone by.

"Oh, Edward, I'd love to be your wife. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes," I cried and threw myself into his waiting arms.

"Can I put the ring on your finger, please? I want to make it official."

"You like official don't you?"

"I do, it makes me feel more secure. Thank you for saying yes," he kissed me deeply and I could not resist letting my hands glide through his glorious hair, pulling him closer.

Minutes later, he still hadn't let me go. I wanted to look at my engagement ring.

"Can I look at my ring for a minute, please?"

Holding my left hand up to the twinkling lights, I smiled.

"Do you like it? We can always get something different if you'd prefer."

"Shut up, I absolutely love it. It's perfect, just like you, my fiancé. I love you so much. How long have you had this planned?"

"Truthfully?"

"Of course, always."

"I bought the ring when you were nineteen; that Christmas, actually. I wanted to ask you back then so much, I just didn't have the nerve. Stupidly, I thought if you said no, it would also be the end of us as lovers and I couldn't risk that so I stayed quiet."

"You've kept it all this time? My answer would have been the same back then you know. I've always loved you, always known you were the one."

"Really? So I did waste all those years when we could've been together and married, huh? Am I an idiot or what?"

"No, I think now is the perfect time, we've both had time to grow up, we've both got successful careers, and we're ready now, really ready to take the next step."

"The ring, I thought it symbolised me a bit. I thought when you looked at it you'd see my eyes in the emerald. Now it also represents the past, present, and future. So when shall we get married? You do realise Alice is going to want to take over."

"No, she can't. I don't want that. Do you want a big fancy wedding?"

"Hey, as long as you and I are there, as well as a minister to make it official," we both laughed, "I don't care who else shows. Do you have something in mind?"

"I do, and I'll share it with you later, but now I'd like to make love with my new fiancé."

Taking his hand in mine, I led him down the steps and into the cabin for the first of what I hoped to be a lifetime of passionate nights officially belonging heart, mind, and soul to Edward Cullen.

**Your thoughts?**

**Just one more chapter to go, folks... **


	31. Chapter 31

**Set Fire to the Rain**

**SM owns all that is Twilight.**

**Dollybigmomma, I cannot say enough thank you's for what you've done for this story. **

**So, folks, the end is nigh...thank you to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to read this story. Thank you to each and every one of you who have reviewed. It means the world. To those of you who just read, thank you, too. **

**I'm going to be concentrating on LISU now that this one is done. I hope to see you over there for more fun and frolic!**

**Chapter 31**

**EDWARD**

The past few weeks had flown by in a whirlwind of love, congratulations, parties, and the like. Bella had moved into my apartment for now, and we would look for a house on the outskirts of the city after the wedding. We wanted a garden, somewhere our kids could play, and somewhere we could sit and relax. The white picket fence was optional according to Bella, but I was actually rather partial to them myself.

The family had been expecting our news, but it still didn't stop them screaming loudly in our ears or stop my mum from crying buckets about how she thought it would never happen. Dad and Emmett had shaken my hand vigorously and hugged Bella to within an inch of her life.

Charlie…well, Charlie had been a different kettle of fish altogether.

I'd taken a short trip to see him before proposing. I wanted to do things right, and when he had stayed with Bella when we had first gotten back from Afghanistan, things between all three of us had been fraught. He said he'd been expecting me, but it didn't make him treat me any better. He questioned my motives over and over, asking why now, after all these years. I manned up and told him the truth, about how I'd being a coward, too scared of being ditched when she found someone else, too afraid of being rejected, too scared to admit just how much I loved her. I told him how I felt when she was taken in Afghanistan, how I wanted to die. I told him how I felt when she got hurt and how I wanted to kill Riley Biers with my bare hands. I think my honesty won him over. He shook my hand and gave me his blessing, reminding me that he was a cop and knew how to hunt someone to the ends of the earth if necessary, and how to make anything look like an accident. That comment brought a wry smile to my face.

I had finally relaxed in our relationship. I was confident of her love for me and I no longer pined for her all day. I even resisted dropping by her office several times a day. Now we had lunch if and when we were both free, we arrived together, and we left together. We kissed goodbye in the lift and I was happy with that. On occasion, we met in the boardroom for a meeting, and if I was lucky, I got a sneaky kiss in before the meeting started. Emmett rolled his eyes at us, but he generally turned a blind eye.

The wedding was just three days away and I couldn't wait to get through all the hoops Alice had us jumping through. Today was the pre-wedding dinner with our families. We'd hired a private room in a luxury hotel in Manhattan and everything was all arranged. I was as nervous as fuck.

I paced near frantically in our bedroom while Bella was getting ready in the bathroom. I tried to hurry her up, but that was a waste of time. Alice had rubbed off on her in some things at least. Bella, like me, was far more comfortable casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Alice had insisted on formal attire tonight, which was just like her to do. I wanted to protest, but Bella thought we should give her this given all the work and planning she had done towards our massive wedding. I would swear even the royals would be impressed with what Alice had planned.

The black Gucci suit I was wearing tonight fit me like a glove and Bella loved it. That made me feel good and tonight I could do with the extra boost of knowing I looked good.

When Bella eventually emerged from our en-suite bathroom, I was lost for words. Stunning did not even describe how she looked; breath-taking was not enough, either. The floor-length midnight blue dress could have been made for her.

"Bella, love, you look...wow, you look...incredible. There are no words really." I moved closer to her and she held up her hand to stop me from taking her into my arms.

"Stop right there, mister. Do not undo what it's taken me hours to create or Alice will go mad. If one hair on my head is out of place, you know she'll go completely mental, so please, Edward, behave at least for now. You look very sexy in that suit you know. Are you sure we can't stay home and order a take-away?" she asked wistfully.

Taking her hand in mine, I smiled and looked down at her. "Baby, there's nothing I'd like to do more than stay at home with you tonight. However, I think my family and your dad would have plenty to say if we stood them up. Are you ready to get this show on the road?"

Squeezing my hand, she nodded and took a deep breath. The company limo was waiting for us outside the apartment block. The short drive to the restaurant was spent chatting casually and just being us. I loved us just being us, no fanfare, no pretence, just two people crazy in love with each other at the start of their life together.

After an incredible meal, speeches were in order. Everyone agreed that my dad should be the first to speak. He thanked everyone for coming, telling how he had always thought of Bella as a daughter and now it was going to be true. Emmett went next and in true Emmett style, he had us all cringing with his risqué comments and innuendos. Poor Bella was bright red, and when I glanced over at Charlie, I would swear he was about to bust a blood vessel or two.

A swift kick under the table to Emmett's shin brought him back on track, appropriately welcoming Bella into the family. It was not that she wasn't a part of the family before, he added, but now it was going to be official. I smiled when he used my favourite word.

Charlie stood up next, holding on to Bella's other hand. He relayed stories of her childhood, some of which were familiar since we had known her since she was ten. He told of the joy he had felt being a father to her and how he could see that I made her happy and completed her. I knew that she completed me so I took this as a great compliment. I stood and shook his hand when he was done, thanking him for trusting me with his daughter.

"Edward, you're her choice, not mine. My Bella is stubborn as a mule. I hope you know that already. I tried unsuccessfully to give her other options, but she wasn't interested. It seems you won her heart a long time ago and she tells me she never really got it back."

My eyes filled with involuntary tears hearing that. Sitting down again next to her, I automatically reached for her hand.

"You okay there, Cullen?" she asked seeing my eyes were still glazed over.

"I am now that I'm holding you close again. Do you have any idea just how much I love you, Isabella Swan?"

"I think I do, it's just about as much as I love you. So, Mr. Cullen, three more nights. You do know that Alice is insisting we spend the night before the wedding apart don't you?"

"Not a chance, unless you want to of course," I told her.

"We made a promise to one another a while back if I remember correctly. No more nights apart. Don't worry; we'll find a way. You could always climb through my bedroom window at your parent's house, or we could meet at a hotel somewhere. Any ideas?"

"As long as we're together, I really don't care, love. A tent in the backyard would suffice."

"You do say the sweetest things you know. So romantic," she laughed.

"If it's romance you want, Ms. Swan, then romance you'll get."

I pulled her into my arms and onto the dance floor. The band, a recent discovery thanks to Roger, was a talented quartet of gentlemen and they played a variety of popular dance tunes and classic pieces. They were good and I was glad Roger had asked them to do this. Every song they had played so far was just what Bella and I would have chosen.

She relaxed in my arms and laid her head on my chest as we swayed to Nat King Cole's classic song, _Unforgettable_. I could not help but sing along. Bella looked up and smiled as I sang the words to her.

"I love you so much, Edward, I can't wait to be your wife."

"I love you, too, and I can't wait to be your husband."

Now that the formalities were over, the party had been opened up to the rest of our family and friends. Most people from work were there and I was glad to see Bill. We hadn't seen him much since our return, although I did know he had met with Bella over which of his pictures to use in the article.

Standing at the bar, I smiled when I saw my beautiful wife-to-be being dragged around the dance floor by my crazy older brother. He couldn't dance and had the grace of a baby hippopotamus. I sensed someone standing close by my side and it made me a little uncomfortable. I looked to my left and immediately understood why.

"Roger, good to see you here. The band is great, good spot, and thank you for getting them to agree to perform here tonight," I told him moving myself a little further away from him.

"Anything for you, Edward, you know that. So, there's just three more days for me to get you to change your mind, eh?"

"About what?" I asked before I really realised what he meant.

"Ditch the bitch, Edward, and be with me," he whined in a really, really effeminate voice.

I turned and looked him straight in the eye. "Roger, you need to stop this. Even if I wasn't head over heels in love with Bella, it would never be you. I'm not gay, or bi for that matter. That whole thing is fine for anyone who feels that way, but it's just not me. I love women, well, one woman, actually. I have no problem being friends with gay men, or women, but for me it'll only ever be friendship. If you can't handle that then maybe you should move along."

"But, Edward…" he started.

"No, Roger, I mean it, if you can't accept that I'm straight and about to be married to the women I've loved for years, then this is the end of the road. I've told you no before and I will not accept you being rude to Bella. I think you should take some time to consider what I've said before we have a problem," I added and Roger looked livid.

"Don't make me regret hiring you," I said before walking way and reclaiming my future bride.

"That didn't look overly friendly," she said as I took her into my arms once again.

"He asked me to ditch you and choose him instead," I told her truthfully.

She pulled back and looked at my face to see if I was joking. "Really? He wants you that badly? Maybe I should just walk away and let him..."

I did not let her finish her sentence and silenced her with a passionate kiss.

"Don't even think about it, not even jokingly, Swan. Do you fancy getting out of here? Do you think anyone will notice if we just go home? I mean all the formal stuff is done, right?"

Half an hour later, we were back in the safe confines of our apartment. Bella was slipping into something more comfortable, which meant sweats and a t-shirt, and I was already in just my boxers. Laid on our bed, I waited for her to join me. It was well worth the wait.

She wasn't in her usual comfy sweats at all; instead, she was dressed, and I used the term loosely, in a sheer black silk negligée that barely covered anything. I loved it and felt my manhood stir as he agreed. She crawled slowly over to me on all-fours.

"Like something you see, Cullen?" she asked dropping tiny kisses all over my face.

"You could say that," I struggled to actually get the words out.

I had her on her back in seconds and she giggled when I ran my hands up and down her torso. She felt incredible wrapped in silk. It was a shame because I really liked this particular item of clothing, but it just had to go. I had it up and over her head in flash.

Her eyes were filled with lust and when she gnawed on her bottom lip, I could not do more than growl and plunge my length into her. She matched me in every move that I made, and when we were both finally spent, she fell asleep in my arms.

Alice was a right pain in the arse the next day; one, for us disappearing, and two, when Bella told her we would not be spending the night before the wedding apart. She even got Esme on side who argued it was tradition. Fuck tradition. It was our wedding and we would do what we wanted, not what fucking tradition dictated. On and on they went, trying to make us feel guilty. I feared Bella might be starting to give in so I cornered her and reminded her of our pact.

"You're not going back on our pact are you? Please, Bella, don't let them get to you. I need you always, every night, including the night before we finally get married," I tried to sound sad and kind of pathetic.

"It's only one night, Edward; we'll be together forever after that. Maybe we should go with the tradition," she said but did not meet my eyes.

"So you want to be separated by tradition? If you hadn't just said it, I would never have believed it," I said to her a little stunned. I walked away from her and went straight into our bedroom and closed the door behind me. I felt incredibly sad and lost. I hated Alice for doing this to me, to us.

The bedroom door flew open and all of a sudden she was in my face, her face red with what looked like anger.

"You are so fucking annoying, Edward Cullen! I could kick your arse right now. Do you really think I would break our pact? Come on, be honest, do you?"

I didn't know what to say to her; she did just say she thought we ought to spend the night apart didn't she?

"Well, you were the one that said we should give in to tradition, not me," I told her sulking.

"I was kidding, you fucking spoiled brat, but after this show, I'm beginning to think we need some time apart."

I was on my feet and had my arms wrapped around her waist so fast she couldn't move. "No, we don't need time apart; we just need all this crap to be over. Neither of us wanted this circus of a wedding, we both said it should just be us. Slowly but surely, Alice has wheedled her way in, making changes and taking over, and now she's got us arguing and I won't allow us to fallout over this. I love you too much for us to get off on a bad footing. So, do we continue to give in to their meddling and let us be unhappy or do we make a stand and do what we want to do?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"You said the night we got engaged that you had something in mind. Can I ask if you'd still like to do it that way?" I had no idea what she'd had in mind as she never got to talk about it because Alice had taken over and never gave Bella much of a chance to say anything.

"Really? You'd do that for me, for us?"

"I'd do anything for you, Ms. Swan, soon to be Mrs. Cullen. So, are you going to tell me just what you had in mind?"

I made all the necessary calls and two hours later we were ready. Two holdalls were packed with all we would need for our impromptu honeymoon. The one we had already planned could wait; we owned the island and the house so we could go anytime. I was sure my family at least would get over our decision to do this our way. Well, maybe not Alice, but I couldn't have cared less right now.

"You ready, love?" I asked her holding out my hand.

"More than ready, I've been ready since I was eighteen to marry you. The sooner the better for me," she added taking my hand.

Hand in hand, we walked out to my car. She got in as I put our bags in the boot. Before I started the engine, I took her hand in mine once again and asked her, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Positive, Cullen, now drive," she laughed.

The rain had let up as we pulled out and the setting sun peeked under the cloud bank, setting it ablaze with hues of brilliant gold and vermillion red. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful and so fitting for us.

As we pulled into the car park near the marina, I could see that the yacht was ready. The fairy lights were all on and I could see Bill stood by the entrance waiting for us.

The yacht's captain waited eagerly on the deck and welcomed us all aboard. "Everything is ready, Mr. Cullen, just waiting for the other witness to arrive."

I instinctively turned around when I heard the sound of footsteps on the pier. "I hope I'm not late?" Angela Webber said as she joined us on board.

"No, we've just arrived. Thanks for doing this, Angie," Bella said pulling her in for a hug.

"Come on then; let's go get you ready for your wedding," Angela said smiling as she led Bella away and down the stairs into the cabin.

Bella turned and said quietly to me, "I'll see you at the altar in fifteen minutes, Mr. Cullen," before she disappeared.

The next time I saw her would be at a makeshift altar on board this luxury yacht that I had once again borrowed from a friend, only this time it would not only be the venue for our wedding, it would also double as our honeymoon suite.

This was the wedding _we_ wanted, without all the pomp and circumstance, just us, starting our forever together.

It had been a long time in coming and I, for one, could not wait.

**The End**


	32. Chapter 32

**Set Fire To The Rain**

**Epilogue**

**The response to the final chapter was staggering. Thank you all so much. You asked for an epi and who am I not to deliver?**

**Thanks to Mrs. Meyer for giving us such wonderful characters to play with. **

**Dollybigmomma is my beta, she deserves a round of applause.**

_**Three Years Later…**_

**BELLA**

It was hard to believe it was three years ago today that Edward and I had run away and gotten married with only Captain Cheney, Angela Webber, and Bill there to witness it. After our small ceremony, Edward had insisted our phones be turned off and stored away in a drawer, not to be turned back on until we sailed back into the harbour. At my insistence, he had sent Esme a text telling her we had gotten married and to cancel all of Alice's plans, and also letting her know when we would be back. We sailed due south towards the Caribbean for twenty-one days of nothing but warmth and each other.

Ben had compiled a comprehensive chart of nautical directions, each securing either a private mooring for the night or a secluded bay in which to drop anchor. It was paradise and I had relived the whole period over and over again, both in my mind and physically. Every single second was perfect, he was perfect. We made love everywhere, we fucked hard and fast whenever we pleased, and I loved every second. We swam naked in the ocean and even made love using the yacht's anchor rope as our anchor.

The fallout had been quite spectacular when we had arrived back from our sun-drenched honeymoon aboard the yacht, 'Breaking Dawn,' three weeks later. Alice finally began speaking to us again about three months after we were married. No amount of saying sorry or cajoling was going to bring her around any sooner. She did eventually start to speak again, but only when necessary at first. However, Alice being Alice, she could not keep it up and all of a sudden I had my best friend and sister back. Everyone else was a little more understanding.

I think my dad was relieved that we had eloped. On the quiet, he'd told Edward he had been dreading all the pomp that Alice had organised. He'd hated the thought of having to dress up like a 'penguin' and deliver speeches at the rehearsal dinner, and was dreading it even worse at the reception toasts. Upon our return to New York, he'd shaken Edward's hand vigorously in thanks.

The first year was hard. Not really the getting used to being married part; that in itself was a challenge I would enjoy any day of the week. Being with Edward almost twenty-four-seven? Hmm, that was hardly a chore. No, the whole trial thing was what was bad. Riley Biers had eventually been brought back to the U.S. and Bill and I were called as witnesses at his trial. Even though it wasted so much government money, I fully understood why it had to happen. He had killed innocent people by arranging that blast at the base. He was up for murder, treason, kidnapping, attempted murder, rape, and many more crimes. He would never be a free man again.

The stupid man could have saved himself an awful lot of time and humiliation if he had pleaded guilty, but Riley being Riley, he believed he had done nothing unjustifiable. The courts had him evaluated for insanity, but the doctors found him to be sane enough; manipulative, yes, psychotic, yes, but definitely fit enough to stand trial. After two weeks of damning evidence, Riley was found guilty of all charges and his sentences totalled one hundred six years of hard labour at one of America's toughest prisons. He was lucky to get away without having received the death penalty. Once it got out that he had been responsible for taking the lives of American servicemen, however, I doubted he would last long in prison.

It was a harrowing experience for me and it brought it all back, but Edward was my rock. He held me night after night while a cried endlessly, he wrapped me up in his arms when I had dreams that I was back there without him. He took me faithfully to the counsellor appointed by the court. The counsellor's evaluation of me was that I was fine, just a blip reliving the whole thing. Edward could not have been more pleased to hear those words.

My article won a writer's award for 'Best True Story' at the acclaimed New York Writer's Awards held at the Waldorf Astoria. Needless to say, it was night of great celebration. Bill also received a nomination for a photography award, but he narrowly missed out to another photographer who had managed to capture a picture of a bird long-believed to be extinct somewhere in Madagascar. He was fine with it, though; such a prestigious award would have put him much more in demand and taken him away from home, and these days he was spending lots more time with his girls. He had even started dating his ex-wife again.

The Cullen Group proudly displayed my award in the boardroom trophy cabinet for all to see. It did wonders for my popularity. Suddenly I was sought out to write articles all over the country. I was happy to hear that Angela and Ryan Backhouse had managed to help Fatima, the girl Riley had raped and impregnated, to flee the country as a political refugee. She hadn't deserved what had happened to her at Riley's hands and her child's life there would never be safe because of him.

Once the dust settled, life pretty much got back to normal; well, as normal as it could be when you were married to Edward Cullen. If I thought I loved him when I was eighteen, or even when he came for me in Afghanistan, I had to think again. Nothing could have prepared me for how I felt about him today. Every day since our marriage, things had just kept getting better and better.

All his worries of not being able to do things right, not being able to express his feelings, were unfounded. Seriously, he was perfect, too damn perfect sometimes. Every day he did little things that took my breath away. There were love notes on my pillow in the mornings, poems sent by email, and he had written me countless songs. The day he presented me with a CD he had made with them all on it made me love him even more. Edward being Edward had chartered the yacht again for our first anniversary and we had revisited each and every spot in every way that we had the first time around. It was our second honeymoon.

I could honestly say that life did not get any better than being Mrs. Bella Cullen. I was more than satisfied in every way. He was a caring, considerate, passionate, insatiable lover, and even that aspect of our relationship improved beyond my wildest dreams. I blushed a little recalling this mornings' particular athletic session in the shower, and then again over the dressing table. We still couldn't get enough of each other.

He was at the office today for a short while. He didn't want to go, but I made him, I needed some 'me' time. That and I had something I needed to do. Tonight we would celebrate our third anniversary and I had something rather special up my sleeve.

Angela Webber, now Angela Cheney, and I had lunch yesterday. Yes, she had married Captain Ben Cheney after a whirlwind romance. They actually married six weeks after meeting each other on the yacht on our wedding day. Edward and I acted as their witnesses. Poor Ben had being distraught when Angela had to return to duty in Afghanistan. She returned a year later and Ben was beside himself when she told him she had resigned her post. She was now an A&E doctor at New York General. We saw each other regularly, both as couples and with Alice, who often joined us if it were just us girls.

Alice and Esme finally got to throw the big wedding of their dreams when Emmett married Rosalie. Everyone looked stunning and I could hardly keep my hands off Edward in a tux. We disgraced ourselves later when we were found in the coat closet making out. Five minutes earlier and we'd have been arrested for public indecency for sure. Rosalie's mum, Cynthia, was not impressed and sneered at us. Our family just rolled their eyes, they were well used to Edward and I disappearing every opportunity we got.

I recalled Carlisle asking when we returned to the table, "Do you two think this," he motioned between us, "will ever stop? I mean you've been married and living together for over two years now, are there not enough opportunities at home?"

Edward and I had looked at each other and replied, "We hope it never stops, and you're just jealous."

The house we bought was everything I had ever dreamed of. It was light and airy with lots of windows. Our bedroom had a whole wall of windows. It was one of the main things that sold it to us. There were floor-to-ceiling glass panels that folded open onto a large balcony. The three other bedrooms were just as spacious and all had en-suite bathrooms which was great for guests. Downstairs was an open plan and I loved it. The large entrance led both ways to a kitchen and dining area that doubled as a family room and was plenty big enough. When it was just the two of us, we spent all our time in there.

At the other side of the house was a more formal living area with Edward's grand piano, and another theatre–style room that housed a large plasma TV. It was a great space for entertaining. I loved this house; it was our home and I could envision us bringing our children home here.

Checking my emails, I had received the necessary confirmation that Edward and I were not required at work for a whole ten days. With two small holdalls packed and by the door, I waited for him to come home. The other things I required for our date were tucked away inside my handbag. A quick phone call to Ben let me know everything was ready.

I heard Edward pull up outside and rushed to greet him. I didn't want him coming into the house. I opened the door and grabbed both bags and walked down the two steps to where my husband was just getting his briefcase out of the back of the car.

"Hey, baby, let me take that inside, you put these in the boot," I said taking his briefcase and dropping a quick kiss on his lips.

Throwing the briefcase inside and closing and locking the door, I turned to face him.

"What are you up to?" he said smiling at me.

"That's for me to know and you to find out, husband. Happy anniversary, Edward, I love you."

"I love you, too, my beautiful Bella, and happy anniversary to you. So, where are we going? I need to go in the house for your gifts." He kissed me a little longer than I had kissed him, but it was still only a peck. "Two minutes, I promise," he said and hurried inside.

I got in the car and waited. I racked my brains, trying to recall if I had left out any clues as to my surprises. He would be surprised to see me in the driver's seat and would argue, I knew.

Seconds later, he was opening the driver's side door. "Bella, I'll drive. Come on, love."

"Nope," I told him making sure the 'P' plopped loudly from my lips, "I need to drive, you need to sit here," I patted the passenger seat at my side.

He reluctantly walked around to the other side and got in. Once he was sat with his seatbelt on, I turned to look at him.

"Okay, so you know that I love you, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you trust me completely and without question?"

"Absolutely."

"Good, now close your eyes for me and just think about what you said," I told him as I slipped the blindfold over his head.

"Bella, what the fuck?"

"You said you trusted me completely."

"I do, but I'd like to see where we're going."

"All in good time, now be good and shut up. It'll be worth it, I promise."

He grumbled quietly, but I knew the worst was over. I could feel him relax a little when I started the engine and pulled away from the house.

"You can talk to me you know," I said glancing at him.

"You told me to shut up. What do you want to talk about, my darling wife?"

"I don't mind, you decide."

"The weather? Are we there yet?"

"Funny, ha ha."

I turned the iPod on instead and smiled when I heard the classical piece now playing.

"Claire De Lune, Edward? Feeling a little nostalgic today are we?"

"I like it, it brings back nice memories."

"I know; I like it, too, and the memories."

He leaned over and caught my hand in his. He squeezed mine gently, but did not let go.

An hour later, we pulled up at the harbour. I parked the car in the designated spot Ben had told me about. Edward was just about to take off the blindfold, but I stopped him.

"Not you don't, not yet. I'll take it off when I'm ready. Okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

I took his hand and helped him out of the car. I placed both holdalls in his hands. He laughed when I told him he needed to carry them for me.

I led him along the pier to where the 'Breaking Dawn' was moored and ready for us. Ben had put up the fairy lights again and a table for two was dressed and ready under the canopy. It looked perfect, just like the night he proposed. This boat had so much meaning to Edward and I; our engagement, our wedding, our honeymoons, everything; and after tonight, so much more. Emmett had been a little surprised when I had asked him to help me buy it for Edward.

A little bird had told me that the owner, an old college friend of Edward's, had fallen on hard times and needed to sell it quickly. I had about half the money already. Some investments I had made had done well and gave me a tidy nest egg. I had also done some freelance work, which I could pretty much name my price for these days.

The yacht was for sale at a cool million dollars and I knew that was cheap. Emmett had insisted I have it appraised properly and the valuation came back at closer to two million. I was getting a bargain. Emmett arranged a company loan for the balance which I could repay, or the company could charter the yacht and pay back the loan that way. It was the ideal plan. I was five hundred thousand dollars in debt, something I had never been before, but Edward was so worth it. I also knew I had an article coming up that would give me at least one hundred thousand of that. A few more articles like that and the yacht would be paid for. The deed in Edward's name was in my bag, along with a couple of other surprises.

As soon as his feet hit the gangplank, he laughed out loud. He knew where we were. I turned and took the blindfold off and we walked the rest of the way on board.

"You do know this is probably the last time we'll be able to use this, love. Matt's had to sell it. I did enquire about buying it myself, but it had already being sold. Poor Matt, one bad investment and boom, he loses everything."

"At least if he's sold the boat, he can keep the house. That's more important, surely? Especially with Vicky being pregnant again," I added. "So, do you like your surprise, Mr. Cullen? Does how it's set out look familiar?"

"I love it, and I love you. Thank you for doing this. It looks just like it did that night I asked you to marry me."

"Good. I'm glad you remembered. So, Mr. Cullen, would you care to join me for dinner?"

"I'd love to, Mrs. Cullen."

We sat down as the Maître de arrived to serve up our dinner. We chatted casually and ate before I started to fumble in my bag, not knowing which of the two surprises I should give him first. I opted for the yacht.

I slid the thick envelope across the table and said, "Happy third anniversary, Edward. I love you so very much and I wanted to do something to show you. I hope you like it," I said, my voice just about held up from emotion.

He took the envelope and twiddled it between his hands. "Bella, I love everything you do for me, and I mean everything. You don't need to buy me gifts. You are my gift. I adore you. I still can't believe you love me as much as I love you."

My eyes were full of emotion now and I did not know if I would be able to hold back my tears. God only knew what I was going to be like when I gave him _**that**_**.** Slowly he opened the envelope and unfolded the papers in front of him.

He read the words slowly before looking up at me. He looked back down again and rechecked before letting out an astonished cry.

"You bought me this yacht, Bella? You bought me this fucking yacht that has so many memories for us! Oh, god, Bella, how the fuck did I get so lucky?"

He was over the table and pulling me into his arms in seconds. His hands held my face and he was looking at me, his eyes now full of emotions, too.

"Do you like it? Is it a good present?"

"Bella, Bella, I love it, I love you. I can't actually believe it, but oh, god, love, I love you so fucking much," he said holding me tighter. "Thank you," he repeated over and over between kisses. "I love you always. It's really mine? Ours?"

"It is. It has a special meaning to me, too, and when I found out from you about Matt, I rang him straight away. He wanted you to have it. I laughed when he told me you'd called him a few weeks later asking to buy it. I knew then it was the perfect present. I wanted to show you just how much you, this," I gestured between us, "means to me, too."

Our kisses were passionate and intense and took my breath away.

"Bella, love, my gift is going to pale in comparison," he said sounding a little subdued.

"Edward, I love all of your gifts, but like you, the gift of you is the most important," I kissed him tenderly on the lips.

Sitting back down, it was Edward's turn to fumble around. He brought to the table two things. One was an envelope, and the one was a square box that looked like it housed jewellery.

"Which one do you want first?"

"You choose," I told him.

He chose the box and slid it towards me. "Mrs. Isabella Cullen, I'll love you to the ends of the earth and back. Happy third anniversary, darling."

I opened the box and looked inside. Lying on a velvet cushion lay a necklace that pretty much was a replica of my engagement ring. A large square-cut emerald was cushioned between two sizeable diamonds.

"Shall I put it on?" he asked me.

"Please, it's stunning, Edward; a perfect match to my ring."

"I know; that's why I had it made."

"Thank you, it's very beautiful. I love you."

"I know," he said kissing my neck where he had just placed the platinum chain. "So, open the other, please, then we can get on with the real celebrating," he wiggled his eyebrows hinting at what was to come.

I rolled my eyes at him, but his words had a definite effect on my panties as I felt an all-too-familiar tingle and then a very wet patch.

The envelope contained two tickets and an itinerary for Europe. Three months in Europe at our leisure; London, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Cannes, Rome, Florence, plus many more.

"Edward, when are these for?" I asked cautiously.

"Do you not love the idea of us going to Europe?"

"I do, but I need to know when you want us to go."

"Why?"

"There may be a problem. When are the dates, Edward?"

"It's open-ended, love, we can go any time from now. Bella, what's this all about? I thought you'd love to travel to Europe to all those crazy romantic places, see all that history, architecture, literature. I thought this would be your dream." He sounded crestfallen and I needed to do something about it. Fumbling about in my bag again, I brought out the rest of my gift to him.

"You are my dream, Edward Cullen. You always have been and always will be. I love the idea of going to Europe with you. Hell, I'd love to go anywhere with you, you know that. All I'm saying is that maybe we might have to delay this trip for a little while."

"Why? We can arrange the time off, no problem. I've already spoken to Em..."

I pushed the small brown bag towards him and sat back. "Look in the bag, Edward."

He looked confused when he brought out a folded piece of paper. It was the results of a recent blood test. A smile started with his adorable lopsided grin when he brought out the stick that had two blue stripes in place.

I did not even see him move. I was in his arms and off my feet in a flash. He was holding me closely to his chest.

"Really? You're really pregnant? When? How? Oh, god, we're pregnant? I love you! Oh, god, a baby, Bella, we're having a baby! Are you sure, love?"

He was a mess. "Yes, Edward, we're having a baby, and I'm sure. The blood test confirmed what the stick said. How? Well, I presume you'd already know the answer to that. When? Your guess is as good as mine. I can't pinpoint an exact time of conception because, well, multiple times a day make that kind of difficult."

"I didn't mean when, as in when we conceived, I mean when are we due, silly girl?"

"Oh, right. Well, I think in about seven and a half months. My first doctor's appointment is late next week. You can come with me if you like. They'll tell us exactly when we're due."

"Try keeping me away. Oh, god, I'm going to be a dad. You're amazing, Bella, did I ever tell you that? Our baby," he whispered as he touched my tummy gently and then kissed me deeply.

He carried me bridal style down into the cabin and I knew it was time for us to really start our celebration.

**And they lived happily ever after. Yes, this is really the end. I hope this has tied up all those loose ends for you. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and please head on over to Life Is So Unfair. Things are about to get crazy over there. **

**Dolly and I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. Everyone please party safely!**

**As always, let me know what you think!**


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